Hardest of Hearts
by sharonflynns
Summary: A tale of a doctor and a detective
1. Chapter 1

**_Just a brief message for those who have embarked the Flynn Dixon ship and have begun reading this story..._**

 ** _This is a crossover between Major Crimes Andy Flynn and Grey's Anatomy Virginia Dixon. I do not own rights to these characters, I'm just writing down what floats around in my mind._**

 ** _The title is hopefully temporary until further notice, since I couldn't think of one thus far that would do justice. Lastly, I can't guarantee specific update times, but I will try as frequently as possible. I've given myself a head start, so I will try to pace myself._**

 ** _I'd also like to say I would absolutely LOVE feedback to see what I am doing right/wrong. I always love improving my writing_**

 ** _Thank you so much for reading :)_**

 _The sound of bullets ricocheting around him filled his ears and he sprinted as fast as he could away from the debris left behind him. Shouting came from every direction as the sirens came surrounding him. He slid over the hood of a nearby car, shielding himself from the chaos he had come from. He looked down at arm, bruised and battered but he would survive. The bastard had managed to get in a few hits before he was taken down by Lieutenant Sanchez. He'd ran after another trying to flea from the scene, leaving the other behind to God knows what Sanchez had in store for him._

 _He squatted down beneath the car, taking a moment to catch his breath and reevaluate his surroundings. He still had his gun on his hip and enough energy left in him for one more round. He heard a engine nearby start up and immediately jumped up with his hand on his gun. The lights blared in his eyes, as he drew his gun and raised it in front of him. "Police! Get out of the vehicle!" He yelled, adjusting to the light._

 _The tires screeched as the car entered reverse and began backing away from the lieutenant. A loud bang filled the air, followed by a shot directed toward Andy. It hit his shoulder, throwing him off balance. It wasn't enough for Andy to give up trying to catch this son of a bitch._

 _He aimed and took a shot toward the front tires, taking both of them out. He heard the door fly open and was back on his feet chasing after him before he made it past the back end of the car. As he was running he hadn't noticed how bad the blow to his shoulder was until he began to feel a numbing sensation arising. He knew it wasn't good._

 _He kept on, and pushed away the pain the best he could, until they both came to a dead end. The alley was dark, and Andy could hardly make out the suspects face as he raised his gun once again. "Drop your weapon!"_

 _The man refused, and instead removed his hood. "The only thing dropping tonight is your dead carcass asshole!"_

 _The man took a step toward Andy, making him uneasy. He showed no sign of intimidation and persisted. "I have back up on their way. I need you to drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head."_

 _The man went to speak again, but Andy interrupted. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Murdering a cop won't help your situation."_

 _The last wrong move Andy made was a step forward as the gun went off once more, nearly point blank to Andy's heart._

 _He stumbled backwards a few times, before falling to the pavement. He heard the sirens growing louder and knew this asshole wasn't getting away. It was only a matter of how much the bullet proof vest had done for him that would determine the fate of his survival._

 _He knew it still wasn't over. His eyes scanned the pavement for his gun. It must have fallen out of his hand when he fell._

 _He heard the man's boots getting closer followed by the sound of his gun sliding down the concrete away from him. His mind was racing and the piercing pain was making it harder by the second to think. He didn't have much left in him. He was reaching for the truncheon in his belt when he felt another hard hit to his stomach. He was kicking him, repeatedly, anywhere he could. The last thing he remembered was the sound of Chief Johnson voice, and another loud gunshot before his eyes shut._

"Would you cut it out! The last thing he needs is to be woken up by the sound of your cackling."

The chief suppressed her laughter before heading toward the door. "I'm sorry lieutenant, but I personally find it hilarious that your messy writing had them believing this was _Andrea Flynn_." She bit her lip to keep herself from chuckling.

"I don't think I should be the one worried of him waking up."

She let out one more laugh before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her. The lieutenant listened to her carry on all the way down the hall until another voice spoke up. "Hey.."

Andy blinked his eyes a few times before looking over at his colleague. "Hey.. look who finally came around."

"Wha-what happened?"

"You were shot twice, and then had the wind knocked out of you."

His eyes grew wide from the sound of the older man's voice. "I _what?"_

"But you'll be fine." Provenza continued. "Doctor said she doesn't want you fooling around until the stitches heal."

 _"Stitches?"_

It took Provenza about half an hour to explain everything that had went down, and the procedures he had undergone in order to be alive at that moment. Andy eventually remembered and managed to control his anxiety. He remembered the last visions he had were of his children before his eyes shut. He couldn't imagine having to leave them alone in this world, but they were only entering college. He wasn't ready to leave them just yet, or his job. He'd fought as hard as he could to survive and thats where it got him. He knew he'd have to pull through a few weeks in the hospital, but he was already focusing on the thought of healing and getting back to work. After Provenza gave him the medical run down, he then went through what had happened after Andy blacked out. Brenda had shot him once in the chest, killing him almost immediately. They hadn't caught him alive, but they got him before one of their officers slipped away, and thats what was important to the team.

"I let him get away with it. I shouldn't have let that happen."

"If you hadn't chased after him, you big dummy, we wouldn't have caught him, and he'd still be running the streets of Los Angeles."

He didn't hear appraisal coming from Provenza very often, so he took it and remained silent.

His throat was growing dry from already doing more talking than he should have. His eyes scanned the room for a cup of water. "Is there any water in here?"

Provenza stood from his chair and walked over to the table at the corner of the room. "Nurse brought you in some water and wanted me to notify her when you woke up. I guess I kinda messed that up."

"You had one job." Andy joked, as he took the cup from the lieutenant.

He pulled the cord hanging from the side of the bed, buzzing for a nurse. The nurse came in a few seconds later, welcoming him with a smile and a clip board. "How are you feeling, Andrea?"

 _"Andrea?!"_

The nurse looked down at her clipboard and back up to the two detectives. Provenza spoke up first. "I _um_..It's Andrew. The doctor misread my writing."

Flynn shot him a look of utter loathing. The nurse asked him a few questions before leaving him with another cup of water and painkillers. "Andrea? Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head, while Provenza remained silent in the chair across from him. "Don't blame me! It was Brenda's idea for me to fill out the papers."

Andy rolled his eyes and winced as his shoulder stung from his slight shifting. His eyes travelled across the room. There were a few cards on the table that the team had left before returning to work.

His gaze wondered to the door where he saw a man in a white coat, presumably his doctor, heading down the hall toward him. The doctor was stopped by another with long dark hair and clipboard grasped tightly in her hands. Her back was facing him, but he could occasionally make out her features. She wore a denim blouse beneath her white coat, which fit her rather well in Andy's mind.

Andy sat and watched the two interact, occasionally pointing down the hall toward him before they separated. They crossed paths as the male doctor headed the opposite direction and she continued toward Andy's room.

She walked somewhat confidently, but with an uneven stride in her step. One hand fidgeted with a pen, while the other knocked softly but firmly on his door. He motioned for her to come in with the hand that wasn't attached to his sore arm.

She gave him what appeared to be a forced smile and took a small step in. "Good evening lieutenant," she read from the clipboard in her hand. " _Andrea_ …?"

"Andrew." He politely corrected, shooting his partner another death stare.

"Oh. I'm Dr. Dixon, I was the surgeon in charge of your procedure. Dr. Gordon is currently occupied so he asked for me to stand in. He's busy…" She trailed off, uncomfortable with the current social situation.

Her fingers interlocked and then separated. They seemed like kind people, but she was unfamiliar with having to do the interacting with the patients. Especially _after_ the procedure was already performed.

She waited for a response from the two detectives but continued once silence rose. "Lieutenant, you recently underwent Pericardiocentesis surgery. The bullet proof vest managed to save you from a fatal rupture of the left ventricle. The vest managed to obstruct the three bullets fired, but if your heart had underwent anymore trauma, you most likely would not have survived."

Her eyes fell awkwardly to the floor as she gathered her thoughts.

"A _miracle!_ " Andy, chimed.

It was difficult speaking, but he wanted to be as social as possible before he reached the point of needing to rest again, which was already breaching.

"No," She nearly spat. "I don't spin miracles, I perform surgery. Science isn't luck, its accuracy."

Flynn's gaze met Provenza's as the doctor's eyes wondered the room nervously. "Right. Well, I'm assuming _Andrea_ here is gonna need to do some more sleeping it off."

The older lieutenant stood from his chair and held his hand out to the doctor. She responded with a firm shake, struggling to maintain the eye contact she sought. "Yes. Dr. Gordon can help you with any further questions you may have regarding your recovery. It was _nice_ … meeting you."

Her voice slurred slightly when she spoke, which left Provenza with raised eyebrows. Andy was visibly to exhausted at this point to show curiosity towards his surgeons mental state. His eyes were growing heavy as he watched his partner leave with a small wave. "Doctor…" Andy spoke, catching her before she left.

She turned to face him and waited on his inquiry. "I just want to thank you… for saving my life."

A small laugh managed to escape his mouth, but he was held back by his growing fatigue.

"You have a very strong heart," came her response.

She left him hanging on her last words, slightly thrown off by the unpredictability of her response. "Well uh, its been through a lot," he replied awkwardly.

She gave him a friendly nod, without saying anything further and dismissed herself, leaving him to rest.

Lieutenant Provenza had returned later in the week, once Andy had recovered enough to be more sociable. He filled Andy in on their most recent case, regarding a serial killer who was harvesting out he hearts of his prey. So far there were two victims and one suspect that wasn't turning out to look very guilty. The most disturbing part was that he wasn't doing it while they were alive, which was very uncommon in comparison to some of the other twisted cases they had worked on in the past.

The killer was drugging them beforehand, and waiting until they were dead before removing their hearts and supposedly examining them for his own entertainment. _What a sick bastard_ , Andy had thought.

Being alone in his hospital room was starting to drive him insane. The only visits he was getting at that point was from Provenza, but only for work related information, so he wouldn't be completely out of the loop once he got back. Hearing about the newest case was only making him more antsy to get back to work. Being confined to a bed all day, wasn't his idea of fun.

He allowed his curiosity to wonder once Provenza had left, thinking about the killer and why anyone would take another's life, just to get up close to a heart. After all, it was just an organ. Couldn't he just Google it, or play one of those online heart surgeon simulators?

An idea rose in his mind, and he rang for the nurse, acting on his impulses as usual. "Do you know if Dr. Dixon is available at the moment?" He asked the nurse, upon her entry.

She reached above him, pressing the red button to turn off the buzzer. She looked over at the clock on the wall. "Well, she should be leaving within the hour, but I'm sure she can has a few minutes to come in. Is there something the matter? Can I help?" The young woman asked.

"No, its just a question regarding my work. A heart question."

"Oh… Okay. Well I'll go get her for you." She spoke hesitantly, but did as her patient requested. She really didn't want to bother the doctor, knowing she wasn't in favour of one on one conversation, but also knew she wouldn't appreciate it if she wasn't notified she was being asked for.

She started back toward the hall as Andy folded his hands in his lap. "I'll just wait here," he said sarcastically, finding himself rather funny.

It's not like he couldn't just up and go if he wanted to, but he knew there were about twenty people who would have his hyde.

He had been waiting for only a few minutes when Dr. Dixon entered the room with her clipboard in her hands. "Good evening Lieutenant Flynn, how can I help you?" She asked, avoiding direct eye contact with him.

"Hello again doctor, I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important.."

"I was just about to go home, but thats alright. I'm glad to help you however I can," She said, flashing him a half sided smile.

He couldn't help but return her expression as his hand reached for the glass of water on the nightstand, to clear his throat before he spoke. "Well, as you know I work for the Los Angeles Police Department and I was hoping you could answer a few of my questions."

"Oh, well I'm flattered Lieutenant Flynn, but I'm only a doctor, I can't offer you legal advice. I'm a heart surgeon. I do.. I do hearts."

She fumbled on her words, phrasing her thoughts awkwardly, peaking Flynn's interest. He wasn't sure what it was making her so nervous around him, but he didn't feel he was in any position to ask. He watched her eyes wonder to the ceiling and wished there was something he could say to put her at ease. He continued with his questions, in the meantime, hoping to change her thoughts of him, whatever they were. "Well no, you see, theres been multiple homicides occurring, where the killer has been removing the hearts of his victims _after_ they've deceased. Could you interpret the reasoning for his behaviour?"

"The heart is a very exquisite organ, having a very systematic function. I couldn't quite tell you why someone would want to examine it _after_ its stopped performing its job, _but_ for some obscure reason, maybe he's doing it for that said reason. They appear to have a personal motive."

He followed her, going through the limited information he knew about the crime so far. "Some of the first victims heart was left behind. It seemed as though it had almost been sliced in half. They left the _left_ side behind, why would that be?"

"The right side of the heart maintains the pulmonary circulations, pumping blood to the lungs. Maybe that particular area interests him. It's hard to tell you why someone would murder an innocent person, taking the left side of the heart, _but…"_

The corners of her bottom lip curled down as she thought further on the topic. Andy sat and listened to her drag on with the subject of the hearts functions and all the possible reasons a person may be compelled to murder just to catch a closer look. He felt the pain medication slowly wear off along with his focus and understanding of all she was saying, but he let her continue, not wanting to be rude. She seemed to know a resounding amount of information about the human heart, which he couldn't help but be impressed by.

As she spoke she grew more relaxed, being able to speak on a topic with familiarity. She had difficulty interpreting his silent response, but she appeared to have his attention so she continued until she grew tired. She felt as though she could talk hours about her cardiological knowledge, but she was afraid of boring him. The man was already ill enough.

When her eyes crept up from the floor to him in bed, his eyes caught heres making her slightly uneasy. She recognized his drowsiness and immediately felt guilty for talking him to the point of exhaustion. "You need rest. I should be letting you sleep."

He watched her slowing begin backing up, looking nervously around the room. "No, its fine, really. I asked for you to come, and you've helped me understand lot. Don't feel bad, I'm always tired now because of this _damn_ accident."

She flinched at his use of words but felt better from hearing his sense of appreciation. "Oh its no problem."

She flashed him a small smile before motioning to the empty cup beside him. "Can I get you more painkillers?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

He fought the urge to doze off until she returned with his meds. She stood awkwardly in the doorway while he swallowed the pills one at a time. "If you ever need any help in terms of hearts, I'd be glad to help."

He set down the cup, thanking her for her offer. "I certainly will. You seem to know what you're talking about."

She nodded her head, unsure of how to respond to his compliment. She left him to sleep, while he lay awake a few moments longer in bewilderment. He wasn't sure what is was about her different behaviour but he found it interesting and even almost _cute._ No matter her situation, he secretly hoped that he'd be able to take her up on her offer eventually.


	2. Chapter 2

Dr. Dixon returned twice more that week, using the excuse of Andy's doctor being unavailable, when truthfully she just wanted to speak to him again. He was one of the very few patients she'd had that were warm with her. She'd rather sit in his room and talk about her medical experiences and hear stories of his high-risk detective jobs than be with the other doctors who mostly ignored her. There were a few doctors that she liked, but they couldn't empathize and try to get comfortable with her. They all saw her as anti-social, even though they were doctors themselves and were trained to know otherwise. It wasn't that she isn't capable of socializing, she just felt anxious being around new people and new situations. She didn't feel very comfortable with their condescending tones.

Andy didn't treat her like a freak, and she wasn't sure why he didn't like the others, but she didn't bother asking. Instead she just appreciated it and considered him a friend, if that.

The last time Andy had spoke, he told her about the time he had gotten stabbed and although she seemed a little tense by the criminals background, she seemed refreshingly comfortable hearing about the gruesome portion of it. He hadn't thought until afterward, that she _was_ a doctor, and she had probably being around far worse. That was three days prior. He starting to miss spending time with his new hospital buddy. The only visits he had got since the first night were from Provenza, and that almost entirely so he could keep up with the case. Another body had been found, and things were started to get heated up. This didn't seem like another one of their regular cases. He knew there'd be a whole lot of hard work to get done once he left that damned bed.

Provenza came in that day with two coffees in his hand. He handed one to Andy, and he reached for it with his good hand. "So hows the case going?" He asked, taking a small sip trying to avoid burning his lip.

"Not so great." He shook his head. "This guy isn't leaving a lick of evidence behind. This guys _good_."

"You mean bad?" Andy corrected, partially just to be annoying.

The older detective rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

He sat his coffee cup down across form Flynn and removed the lid to let it cool off faster.

"We're having a hard time narrowing down motives. I mean, why the heck would someone want to cut out someones heart?"

Andy face lit up, startling his partner. "What. What is that face?" He asks, sounding horrified.

"You remember Dr. Dixon? The doctor who performed my surgery?"

"Yes.."

"Well I've been talking to her to avoid answering the voices in my head, and she knows quite a bit about all that stuff. She offered her help and I think we should take her up on her offer."

"You've been _talking_ to her? _Flynn…"_ He grit his teeth, displeased by what he was hearing."

"Yeah! She really knows what she'd talking about. I'm telling you, I think we should get her advice on this heart carver killer."

"Lieutenant Flynn. Are you letting your emotions cloud your judgement of who is capable of solving a major crime? You just met this woman… doctor, and you're already wanting to invite her to the division."

"Hey, I never said anything about my feelings, all I'm saying is she could help us speed up the solving process."

Provenza turned his gaze to the floor and changed his attitude.

"Look. I know that _Dr. Dixon,"_ he spoke, correcting himself. "Saved your life, and thats important to you and you are forever indebted to her…" He spoke over dramatically, causing his partner to roll his eyes.

" _But_ … I think you need to move on now. You'll be back in uniform by the end of the week, doctor said and you need to start focusing on this case. _Not,_ your new 'friend'."

"If you're trying to suggest that I feel attached to her because she took the bullets out of me that nearly ended my life as I know it, you're mistaken. I just thought it'd be a good idea to get an _experts_ opinion on the case. Morales knows what he's doing, and I'm not saying he can't do his job justice, but he's not a heart surgeon and he doesn't have the knowledge that Dixon does to help us with these homicides. And there _will_ be more, until we find the asshole, and lock him up."

"Fine, alright alright! But, I think it'd be best if I spoke to her about the case from this point on, considering I'm actually on duty. All meetings with Dr. Dixon will be with me, or one of the others, at least until you're out of that bed."

Andy sighed, but appreciated Provenza surrender. "Fine." He replied, slightly bitter.

Provenza went on telling Andy about the third and newest homicide that had occurred, pointing out off the similarities between the previous victims. They finished their coffee and then the older Lieutenant had to return back to the team.

Andy was satisfied that he'd convinced Provenza into involving Dr. Dixon in the solving process. He was there had to be something that she could pick up on that could give them a lead on a possible suspect, or at least a more specific profile than the one they currently had.

The coffee kept him up for a few hours, before the pain medication won it over and he slept for a few hours. He always hated falling asleep and then finding himself awake in the late hours of the night. Then he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep through the night. Sometimes he turned on the tv and flipped through the limited channels until he finally gave up. Other nights, he'd just lay in bed and think about anything and everything until he dozed off. Tonight was one of those nights.

The following night was similar. He had fallen asleep after his dinner came and now he would suffer staying awake for another few hours until his last batch of pain medication came for the day. He stared out the window, watching the sun go down. He heard a soft knock at the door and responded, "Come in," knowing it would be his nurse coming with his meds.

After a few moments of silence he turned his gaze to the door and was happily surprised to see Dr. Dixon standing with two small cups in her hands. "I brought you your pain medication." She spoke, in a low hum, setting the two cups down on the table at his bedside.

"Thank you Dr. Dixon. I'm not used to you bringing them."

She frowned at his words, but excused herself. "Well, the nurses were busy so I thought I'd just drop them off before I head on my way."

He realized that she had taken offence to the way he spoke and immediately felt guilty for making her feel like she wasn't welcome. He saw her turn toward the door and searched for the words to apologize. "I don't like Lieutenant Provenza very much." She spoke, bluntly.

"Oh, and why is that? I'm assuming you met with him today."

She took a step out from the door, and sat across from him in the visitor chair. She'd sat there the past few visits, as they'd shared each others company. "He's kind of angry, and not very friendly."

Andy did his best to hold back a smirk. "I can see where you're coming from. Don't worry about the old fart, you'll get used to him."

"No. I don't think I will. I think I'd rather discuss the cases with you than him." She looks over her shoulder at the wall, wrapping her arms around her right leg, propped up on the chair.

Her unintentional compliment warms his heart, making his lips twist into a small grin.

"He seems very frustrated when he talks to me and I didn't even say anything."

She's looked at him when she spoke. Ever since the last visit she had come in on her own, he noticed that she'd grown more calm around him.

"Imagine working with him everyday. it can get on you nerves sometimes, but then again, he'd probably say the same about me."

"I don't see why. You seem to have better control on your anger than him. And he's _loud_."

She shuddered from the memory of his irrational volume when he spoke about the things that bothered him. "Hey," Andy spoke, his voice soft. "If he's been giving you a hard time, I can talk to him about it and ask him to tone it down a bit. Sometimes the old man just gets a little excited when he talks about some of the idiots we deal with sometimes. Every once in a while it gets to the best of us."

He could sense a smile poking out from behind her blank expression. "No. Thank you Lieutenant, but its not his fault. I'm just not very good with easily tempered people. It makes me… anxious."

He watches her begin playing with her fingers and he takes it as a sign of discomfort. "Hey, you don't have to apologize. I just wanted to make see if there was anything I could do to make the situation less difficult for you."

She knew based on the familiar tone in his voice that he was probably wondering what she meant. She'd been avoiding telling him about her medical condition since they'd first started talking. She didn't know how to bring it up, or how he'd react once he knew. She was afraid that he'd think she was weird and stop talking to her, or even incapable of helping the case. "Lieutenant have you ever heard of the medical term Asperger Syndrome."

He scratched the back of his head, taken off guard by the quick change of topic. "Uh, I think so. Isn't that like, social anxiety?"

He looked over at her, slightly confused. "I don't know, you're the doctor."

"I was diagnosed when I was thirty-five years old. It's on the less severe end of the autism spectrum and prevents people from being comfortable in social situations. It makes it difficult for me to understand and react to others feelings. Sometimes I get nervous and I talk too much or I get overwhelmed with the situation. I don't like spontaneous bursts of anything, or disruption of routines. Sometimes it just gets too much and I feel very afraid or in danger and experience panic attacks."

Andy sat silently, listening to her attentively as she spoke. He had learned from their previous chats that it was best to let her finish her thought before interrupting. He had figured out at that point that she had some kind of disorder, but it didn't seem as severe as what he thought Aspergers was. He wanted to say something of that sort, but was afraid to offend her. He didn't want to step out of line when she clearly speaking of a topic that made her feel uneasy. "I know that you probably think I'm awkward, or weird but you've been very kind to me and I thought you deserved to know."

Her eyes had wondered to the window, as her fingers played with the hem of her doctor's coat. "I'm honoured that you feel like you need to share this with me. Honestly, I had no idea that you had Asperger Syndrome. I just assumed that you possibly had anxiety, which honestly, either way I way I'm fine with it. Not that you need my approval." He fumbled with his words, scarcely enough for even her to pick up on it. She remained quiet, still recovering from the courage it took for her to say all of that to him. She was waiting for him to start acting weird, or ask her to leave, but he didn't. Instead, he continued rambling on. "And I don't think that you're weird. I actually really enjoy talking to you. Its better than sitting and listening to Provenza complain about the printer in the office."

She let out a small giggle and eased in the situation. He was afraid to keep talking about it and make her feel awkward again so he allowed her to decide where the conversation would go next. "Are you in any pain right now?" She asked, taking the opportunity to change topics.

"Actually, not really. The past few days have been much better. Another week and Dr. Gordon said I can have my stitches removed. Looks like I'll be back to work by the end of the week."

Her face fell when he mentioned his leave. She knew that eventually he'd have to go, which was good, he couldn't stay in the hospital forever. It was good he was recovering, but she didn't want to see him go. He saw her reaction to his careless words and immediately regretted saying it that way. The room was silent as they both looked out the window. "Well lieutenant, its getting late, I should let you rest now."

She stood from the chair and adjusted her coat. Andy looked at the clock on the wall and was shocked to see she'd been in there for nearly an hour. She was supposed to be finished work fifteen minutes before. He caught her on her way out. "Doctor! I'll talk to the Lieutenant about his temperament."

She gave him one of her half sided grins and continued on her way out of his room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just wanted to thank all the new readers that have decided to join the ride. I also just wanna mention that I am aware Andy is a vegan/ vegetarian (i don't even remember.. he is right?) but I thought I'd leave that part out for the sake of a trope I had going around in my mind. Everything else in the story thus far is accurate, to my knowledge. I'm sorry if any of you are one of those readers that gets really frustrated when theres an instance of misinformation (i am one of those.) I will try to avoid slip ups like that from this point on. The next few chapters are mostly based on building up the ship, so stick around and enjoy! :) xo**

 **Here's a short chapter, that I just wanted to throw in before the following comes :)**

_ chapter 3 _

He had gathered all his things when Lieutenant Tao had come by to pick him up. He was relieved to finally be able to leave his hospital room and rejoin the world, but disappointed to hear that Dr. Dixon hadn't been working the day he was being released. He wished that he could have said goodbye, and thank her for making his stay less painfully boring. And then of course for saving his life for the hundredth time.

Tao had warned Andy on the ride to the office that Provenza was in another one of his moods. At that point, nearly everyone in the Major Crimes division was agitated that they were already on to the second week without having solved anything.

Once they arrived, Tao started acting weird in the elevator, evidently giving away something was up. Andy had an idea it may have had to do with his recent leave, but he played along not wanting to spoil the fun.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Tao let Andy step out first and they were both greeted with loud cheering and shouting. There was an array of welcome backs as a huge smile crossed Andy's face. "Wow, you guys! You didn't have to do this." He spoke humbly.

Provenza slapped the back of his shoulder. "Oh, just shut up and say thank you!"

His eyes scanned the room, seeing the whole team with big smiles and ridiculous party hats, that he assumed were Brenda's idea.

His gaze was caught on a particular brown haired woman near the back. It took him a moment to identify her as Dr. Dixon. His smile immediately grew bigger. He didn't want to create a scene, or wreck the moment so he continued along with everyones small talk. He filled everyone in on his medical progress and assured them all he was already near full recovery and he would return good as new in a matter of days.

He hung around the group, long enough to open a few gifts, one being a rather hideous pouch to hold his gun in. Of course Provenza had to throw in a dig at that one. _"How are you supposed to manage a handgun with a messed up arm when you could barely handle it with two good ones."_

The groups reaction was mostly held back laughter, but Andy simply responded by his usual eye roll. Cake was passed around and Andy took the opportunity to go find Dr. Dixon. He brought her a plate of cake, hoping she'd accept it and join in on the conversation. He was expecting a lot, but he would try. "Hey there, Dr. Dixon. I didn't expect seeing you here."

She looked up as he approached, leaving her bubble of social abstinence. She stood from the chair. "Lieutenant Provenza asked me to come. It was my day off."

 _"_ _Lieutenant Provenza?"_ Andy reiterated, questioningly.

The last he recalled, her reaction to the Lieutenant was a ball of nerves. How had she managed to warm up to the old grump so fast. "I brought sugar cookies. I think he likes me now." She explained, glancing over at the older lieutenant who was laughing along with others, clutching three in his hands.

Andy let out a chuckle at the sight. He remembered the plate of cake in his hand he'd brought and held it out for her. "I brought you some cake, I don't know if you like chocolate or not."

She shook her head politely. "The average chocolate cake is made of a minimal fifty percent sugar. Too much sugar can cause resistance to insulin which can lead to diabetes." She stated, a matter-of-factly.

He found himself in a constant state of amazement when he was with her, to the never ending amount information she had stored in the small head of hers. "That's okay. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate myself, but don't tell the others."

He brought his finger to his lip and leaned in dramatically, making her giggle. He spoke with her a few minutes longer before she said she needed to leave. He tried getting herto stay, and meet the whole team, but he understood that she didn't like the sound of that. As long as she got the well intended gesture.

A few hours later and they had made a huge break through in the case. Lieutenant Tao had managed to pull up a cased filed back in 1994 with similar characteristics to theirs. They were all gathered in the murder room, going over the newly found information. Provenza immediately latched on, fully supporting the idea of it being a mock killing, others were a bit hesitant to jump to conclusions, one being Andy. "No. I don't think we should rule anything out until we know a bit more. We can't just assume that the killer is taking after this guy."

Provenza interrupted before he could get another word in. "Flynn. Don't be such a pain in the ass. We have all the information in front of us, I think we should start looking into this guy."

Andy shook his head in frustration, leaning forward in his chair from frustration. "We can't just assume that this is our motive."

"Well do you have anything better that we can use?"

The older lieutenant's response left him speechless. Although it was a good point, Andy had a very bad feeling about jumping to conclusions like this. He thought about it for moment before perking up from a previous idea. "As a matter of fact, I have a better idea."

Provenza folded his arms across his chest, eagerly awaiting his partners clever response. "Why don't we call in and see if she can help us out with the evidence."

"Here we go again…"

"No. I'm serious." Andy said, taking a stand.

Sanchez looked back and forth between the two of them. "Who's ?"

"The doctor that lead Andy's surgery. And now he seems to have deemed her Mother Teresa."

"Oh, was she the one at the back for most of the party?" Tao added.

Sanchez faced Tao. "You mean the awkward one?"

Dr. Morales stepped in, rarely doing so, pointing out the obvious. "If she is a registered cardiac surgeon, she _could_ be of help in differentiating the evidence. My knowledge is minimal, but I'm sure she'd know more."

Provenza rolled his eyes. " _Fine._ We'll call her in."

"Who made you in charge?" Andy challenged.

"Experience."

Andy snorted and spun back around, facing his desk. He was grateful that once again, he had succeeded at involving Dr. Dixon in the case. He knew they'd get much farther with her help, even if they still were way behind. They had a long way to go still, but he was eager to start working with her to speed up the progress. He found himself starting to miss being around her.

Dr. Dixon returned the following week, as the team had agreed upon and worked with Dr. Morales in the morgue. They went through the file that Tao had found on a similar case dated back from the nineties, and then examined the body, trying to piece together whether or not it was a match. Less than an hour later, the two doctors reappeared in the murder room with their theory. "The bodies recovered from the current case, don't appear to match the ones that were found in the Simmons case. The bodies found in the 94' case were tampered with, and were shot or suffocated to death before being dissected. The killer we're currently looking for, is showing no signof violence or aggression thus far along in the case. Therefore, Dr. Dixon and I have hypothetically concluded that we don't have a match."

Dr. Morales took a step back, allowing Dr. Dixon to give her part if further explaining was called upon. Provenza appeared to dislike their conclusion, sighing in frustration. "We still don't have any proof." He argued.

Dr. Dixon turned her head in a way of disagreement. "Not true. Simmons was a violent man who killed to watch his victims _suffer_. The man you're looking for now does not have the same motive. He has an interest in the hearts he's taking, which explains why he's kept them. He wants to see them up close. He doesn't care if he needs to end lives in the process."

She looked down afterward, hoping she hadn't stepped out of her place. She was already uncomfortable enough in a workplace that wasn't hers, telling police offers how to do their job.

Andy looked back and forth between the two, nodding as the doctor spoke. "I think she's right, guys. I mean, why would he be so tidy about it if he was only killing for the fun of it?"

Provenza raised his eyebrows, turning his head to Chief Johnson. "Chief?"

"I think Dr. Dixon's right, _however…_ I don't want to ignore the similarities in the Simmons case either. We will continue looking into the Simmons case, as well as alternatives."

Once the chief had dismissed everyone for the evening, Andy went to find Dr. Dixon, but was disappointed to hear she had gone home before the team was finished discussing procedure and their next steps. Instead he found Provenza, waiting for him back at his desk in the murder room. "Flynn! What the hell was that?"

" _What!"_

He joined his colleague, preparing for another earful on god knows what now. "Are you allowing your _crush_ on Dr. Dixon interfere with your judgement on this case." He spoke with disgust dripping from the word crush.

"No! I don't- listen… She knows what she's doing. I'm not picking favourites."

"Well it seems like you are and you better cut it out before someone else catches on."

He lowered his voice, in case there were others still lingering around the office. "You don't have to side with her out of sympathy. Just because she is autistic does not mean you have to pity her by going along with everything she says."

Andy took a step back, running a hand through his hair. He was shocked to hear the way Provenza had spoken about her. They were in a constant state of picking on each other, one of them occasionally crossing the line, but he had never thought of the older man to be one to be so narrow minded in a situation like this. "I don't need to defend myself, or Dr. Dixon for that matter. The time will come, hopefully soon and her theory will prove to be right. You'll see. She's capable of more than everyone around here thinks."

He turned his back, ending the conversation and walked down the hall to the elevator.


	4. Chapter 4

**I thought I'd do everyone a favour by going ahead and posting both chapters tonight. This one has been my favourite to write so far, and you'll see why! I'd really like to emphasize my appreciation of feedback on this one! This one was really hard for me to write, having to go back and change things multiple times to make sure I got it right. Feel free to let me know what you thought/ tips for the future. Hope I have got all your approval on this one! xo**

_ chapter 4 _

"Twenty-three year old, Caucasian female. Found dead in her apartment."

Andy closed his eyes, disheartened by the fourth body found from the same case. The major crimes division spent half the day at the crime scene, and the other half trying to catch something odd or off-putting about this one compared to the other three. This time, the killer had been clumsy enough to leave behind fragments of the victims heart _._ "The killer has been performing the surgical procedure used for a heart transplant. The clean cuts and incisions he's been using are a clear indicator that this man has been medically trained."

Dr. Dixon looked to Andy, the only one she felt could trust her. "You mean we're looking for a doctor?"

She nodded her head, regretfully. "Only a medical practitioner that is familiar with this procedure could do do this."

She looked away, and back down to the lifeless body before them. A despondent silence rose throughout the morgue, no one able to think of the appropriate response. Provenza spoke first, in a low grumble. "These people are trusted to save lives, and this idiot is running around-"

"Ending them." Andy finished, looking to his partner and then to the doctor at his side. She looked back at him, disturbed by the conclusion. She couldn't possibly conceive why someone would want to end such a gorgeous cycle. Life is such a precious thing, and she figured a surgeon of all people would understand that. The doctor they were looking for couldn't possibly be a sane man.

"Alright. Well, theres our big break. Lieutenant Tao, I need you to run a background check on every heart surgeon within every hospital in Los Angeles."

Chief Johnson continued, giving everyone their tasks before they split. They were all feeling an odd sense of relief and disappointment. None of them had considered that a doctor could be the one responsible for such a thing. Even after all the years they'd been exposed to much more sick and evil individuals, they could still be taken aback by a thing like this.

Dr. Dixon hung around, in case any other information needed to be provided. She sat at an empty table in the murder room, listening in on the discussion, only participating in conversation as she was requested to give medical answers or advice. She stared down at the file in her hands, going over all the information on the current case over and over again until she grew bored. She granted her eyes the pleasure of wandering up to Lieutenant Flynn.

He had gone so far out of his way trying to prove her right, and she couldn't understand why. All the others were so against her disapproval of the connection to the Simmons case. She was appreciative of their attempt to be subtle, but she wasn't blind and she knew they didn't like her. Which she was used to, but she wasn't used to someone like Andy agreeing with her, and having so much faith in her theories.

There were always times in the hospital where she was asked to give input, and most of the time she was right, but the few that she was wrong they would always hold her accountable for, never showing appreciation when she was right. She didn't expect much from people because of it. She grew up around those who didn't want to socialize with her, or have anything to do with her, just because she didn't know how. She had always been exceptionally smart, which was another reason for her peers to segregate her.

She kept to her corner until she heard the chief speak, dismissing everyone from work after hours of searching and no result. She looked down at her wrist watch, surprised to find it was already the late hours of the evening. She stood up quickly, catching lieutenant Provenza's attention from across the aisle. "Hold on everybody! I think we all owe Dr. Dixon here and apology."

She pulled the edges of her jacket to her chest, entering defence mode. She shook her head humbly. Everyone had surrounded her so quickly and felt her heart begin to race. She couldn't tell what they were saying, all she heard was voices, loud in her head. She tried to stay calm, nodding her head and putting on a smile. As soon as she saw a gap in between officers she glided out of the circle of detectives and headed for the elevator. She pressed the button, hoping no one had followed her, to check on her. She pressed the ground button and her whole body jolted back when she turned to see Andy enter after her. "Sorry doctor, I didn't mean to startle you."

Andy held his hands up, indicating he came peacefully. He stood next to her, thinking of a good way to make conversation. He noticed her subtle shaking against his arm, as she tried to calm herself down. "Are you alright Dr. Dixon?"

She'd regained her regular breathing and cleared her voice before speaking in a soft voice. "Yeah, I just. Too many people."

She squinted her eyes at the mere thought of the previous situation. "Oh. I'm sorry.." He stammered awkwardly, unfamiliar with this predicament.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No. I'm fine now. Thank you."

She was grateful she hadn't reached the stage of a panic attack. She'd hate for Lieutenant Flynn or she others to see her like that.

Her words left an awkward silence as the two of them rode the rest of the way down the elevator to the parking level. She was the first one out of the elevator once it opened. Andy followed after her, still hung up on the narrow-mindedness of his co-workers. "I just wanna say, that I never contradicted you when you said it wasn't Simmons."

She stood silently, a million things going through her head. "I think the others were just anxious to move on with the case. They didn't mean any harm when-"

"Lieutenant I know the others don't like me. I may not pick up on cues like sarcasm very well, but I know when people don't like me."

He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to make matters worse. She looked back at her and her face had softened. Her attitude changed. "I heard what you said to Lieutenant Provenza yesterday and I want to thank you."

His face twisted in confusion. "I was on my way to the elevator and I heard you say my name. I shouldn't have eavesdropped. Eavesdropping is bad, but I did and I heard you stick up for me."

Andy looked away, slightly embarrassed by the whole thing. He also felt bad that she had to hear all that was said. "I'm a bit hungry. I'm not used to skipping dinner like this. I should get going."

She was about to step around him when he caught her arm. "Hold on…"

She let out a small gasp from his hold on her. He let her go, not wanting to come off as aggressive. "I was about to grab something on the way home. Do you have someone coming to pick you up?"

She relaxed, looking up at him and then back down at the cellphone in her hands. "I was just going to call my brother."

"Well, why don't we grab dinner together and then I can drop you off after."

He saw her reaction. "It wouldn't be a problem. I don't have anyone waiting at home. Do you…?"

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer. "No." She said.

"So thats a yes?" He asked.

"Yes to what?"

He chuckled at her confusion. "Will you be accompanying me to dinner?"

"Oh.."

She went from confusion to nervous. She told her brother that she'd be back by midnight, but it's not like she wasn't old enough or capable of getting home herself. She couldn't understand what was behind his gesture, but she assumed that he was just being friendly and apologizing on behalf of his team. She looked up at him, noticing she had left him waiting on her answer. "Yes. That'd be nice."

She sat next to him in the passenger seat, staring at the road as soft rock played faintly from his radio. He drummed his fingers along to the rhythm on the wheel. "So. Where do you wanna go?"

He looks over at her, keeping his eyes on the road every few seconds. He can see in her eyes that her mind is reeling and he suggests a few nearby restaurants. She hums in response, thinking about it for a minute. "I like Burger King."

"Burger King?" He smiles.

He was expecting somewhere a bit more classy. Maybe with tablecloths and waiters. He looked at her, noticing his hesitance was worrying her. "Sure. We can go there if you like."

She gave him a small smile, and looked back out the window.

They arrived in the parking lot and Andy reached for the door handle. "Um. Can we eat it out here."

He looked at her curiously. "I don't like eating in public restaurants. It makes me feel… _uncomfortable_."

He relaxed back in his seat, letting go of the door. "Yeah, sure. Do you want me to go in or…?"

"Yes please."

She bit her lip and lowered her eyes, feeling guilty for making him go get their food. "What do you want me to get you?"

She answered without hesitation. "Chicken fingers and french fries. Unsalted."

"Okay," he said, reaching once more for the door. "Is coke alright?"

"Sprite," She answered. "Wait!"

She dug into her purse, pulling out her wallet. "You don't need to-"

"Lieutenant, I don't expect you to pay for me."

"No, really its not a problem." She held out a bill.

He saw the determined look on her face, and hesitantly reached for it. She knew he wasn't happy, but she didn't care. He was nice enough to be going in for them, she could at least pay her own way.

He came back a few minutes later with a bag in his hands. He handed her the change, and began sorting through the bag. "This is for you."

He pulled her chicken fingers out of the bag, and then their fries. His hand brushed against hers, as she was taking them and she immediately dipped her head down after.

She brought a fry to her mouth as she watched him unwrap the whopper he'd ordered for himself. "Did you know a whopper with bacon and cheese has over 750 calories, which is more than any other sandwich in fast food, aside from McDonalds."

He was just about to take the first bite, when he turned his head and looked at her with a look questioning her timing. "Really?"

"I'm not lying. 35% of America is obese, with burgers being one of the main edible causes."

"Are you saying I'm fat." He joked.

"No!" She said, genuinely concerned she had offended him.

He felt bad for worrying her. "I was only kidding."

He did his best to ignore the nature of their conversation and took a bite of his burger. "Why do you like Burger King anyway?"

He looked over at her, taking small bites from her chicken. It made him smile. "McDonalds fries are too salty, and Wendy's burgers are abnormally square."

She hears him laugh, causing her to join. "Its not normal." She adds, chuckling.

She finishes her chicken and sits quietly, sipping at her Sprite. He glances over at her occasionally, afraid to bring up the topic of the team again. "I really am sorry for the way the others have been treating you lately. They're just not used to having someone like you around."

Someone like her? She perks at the sound of his words and looks over at him, curious. " _Like me?"_ She questions, sounding slightly offended.

"Someone from outside of the team. A doctor." He corrects himself.

She understands what he means, nodding his head but she can't help but wonder if thats really what he meant. "They haven't really got to know you like I have, and I don't think they understand you yet."

" _Understand_ me?" She repeats, confused again.

She was beginning to get very uncomfortable with the way he was taking this. Her mind started reeling again, trying to interpret the meaning behind his words. Was he trying to tell her something? She started questioning why he was even there with her. "Is this why you've been being so nice to me? Because you feel bad for me?"

"No! That's not what I meant. I'm just saying that they are having a hard time understanding your.. you.." He was looking for the right words to say, but nothing came.

She set down her drink in the console and twisted in her seat, clearly displaying anger toward him now. "You talk to me because none of the others do. You don't actually care, you're just showing pity."

She fidgeted anxiously, looking to him and then to the door before getting out. She could feel her nerves building up again, and she didn't want it getting out of hand. She shut the door, and pressed her weight against it, as her arms hugged her body tightly. She heard his voice coming from the other side of the car. "No, Virginia…"

She eyes grew wide from the sound of her name. "Doctor Dixon…. I wasn't saying that at all."

She walked around the front of the car, stopping in front of her. He noticed a tear sliding down her face and immediately felt a pang of guilt for even bringing it back up. It was a touchy subject for her, and it wasn't really his place to be discussing with her over burgers and fries.

"Hey…" His voice was softer this time, drawing her attention. Her glistening green eyes stared back at him, as his finger wiped away a tear trailing the side of her face. "Please don't cry."

"Why?"

Her voice was shaky as her trembling hand reached up and wiped her cheeks. "Because I don't want to see you upset."

She broke eye contact, feeling embarrassed for allowing herself to get this emotional in front of him.

He felt horrible standing in front of her as she cried, unsure of how to calm her. He held his arms out, offering her support. Without hesitating, she wrapped herself in his arms, pressing her head against his chest. He held her for a few moments, while she steadied her breathing. He invited her to dinner, hoping he could get to know her better, outside of work but he never imagined he'd end up making her cry. He could be such an idiot sometimes. He felt her move in his arms and looked down at her, pulling back some, giving her some space. She swallowed back her tears and glanced up at him, _really_ looking him in the eyes for the first time. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

He noticed the genuine concern in her voice and saddened features. She _really_ didn't believe that he cared about her. "I'm not here because I feel bad for you, I'm here because I want to be. I think you're an amazing doctor and a beautiful woman."

He hadn't thought of his answer until it had already left his mouth. Could he say that? Was this the right place?

The corners of her mouth crept up, and she tugged back, suddenly feeling guilty for practically throwing herself in his arms. She sniffled and pulled her jacket in instinctively.

He silently prayed that he hadn't crossed a line, but it was just a hug and it wasn't forced. She wanted him to hold her. "You're getting cold. I should take you home now."

They both got back in the car. They kept to their own thoughts on the way to her house, her giving him directions when needed. He pulled up in her driveway, turning off the ignition. It was a small white house, just as he'd pictured someone like her would occupy. They sat in silence for a moment before she spoke. "Thank you."

Her gratitude was given in a simple sentence, but he knew what she was implying and he accepted it as it was. "It's never a problem."

She gave him a small smile in response, before opening her door to leave.

He waited until he saw her door open and close behind her before leaving. Once she was inside the house she switched on the light, dropping her purse to the floor and letting her weight fall back against the door. _What had just happened?_

Did her and Lieutenant Flynn just go out for dinner, and did he tell her that she was _beautiful_. She couldn't believe he'd said that. Why would he say that? Maybe he had just said it to make her feel better. She couldn't see any other reason, unless he actually had feelings for her.

She stopped herself from thinking that. Lieutenant Flynn just wanted to friends, and she would just have to accept it as that. She would value their friendship until the case was over. She couldn't help smile at the guilty thought that he could actually like her. ****

 ** _*squeal!*_** **thanks again for reading! As I said, this is my fav so far!**


	5. Chapter 5

_ chapter 5 _

Lieutenant Provenza sat at his desk, finishing off the last of the shorten bread cookies Dr. Dixon had brought earlier that week. He'd sat there all morning watching Flynn out of the corner of his eye, dancing around the office with a huge grin on his face. He had no idea what had drove him over the edge since last night, but Flynn finally had him convinced he was insane.

He glanced up seeing Dr. Dixon coming from down the hall and he immediately jumped up from his chair and hurried towardsher. "Dr. Dixon!" He called for her.

She stopped short in her tracks, putting her hands out as a defence mechanism. "Those

sugar cookies you made were _delicious._ I was wondering when you could get around to making another batch?"

She giggled at the reason behind his urgency. "Yes Lieutenant. I will make you more cookies."

Smiling, he began to turn away but she followed after him. "Oh…" She stopped in front of him. "Lieutenant. I was just wondering…"

"What is it?"

He noticed her attitude change and she grew suddenly, very serious.

She swallowed hard, afraid to ask. "Lieutenant Flynn…"

"What? What is it?"

He searched for an explanation in her eyes. "What did the idiot do now?"

"No… Nothing." She held her hands up, afraid to get him worked up over nothing.

"I was just wondering if he's… um."

"If he's what?"

Her eyes met the Lieutenants. "Married…?"

She watched his reaction as he ran his hand across the back of his head, letting out a breath he'd been holding. _"Well…"_

This was the beginning of a conversation he really didn't want to partake in. God knows Flynn meant well, but he was afraid of whatever it was his partner was getting himself into. "He's divorced."

He didn't dare ask why, he already knew the answer. He could see it plain as day on her face. He only hoped to God that Flynn wouldn't break this poor woman's heart. "See… I was just wondering, because he asked me to dinner last night and he was really nice to me?"

 _How nice?_ He wondered. Enough was enough, he'd have to have a word with him later and figure out exactly what the hell was going on. "Listen… Dr. Dixon. I don't wanna upset you, or get your hopes up, but he hasn't said a word of it to me. I can't speak for him myself."

She nodded her head, suddenly understanding she was putting the Lieutenant in an awkward position. She knew at this point she'd never be able to work up the courage to ask him herself, but she'd continue letting things play out the way they were.

Once Dr. Dixon had continued down the hall, Provenza turned back to his desk and returned to his paperwork, still a bit shocked by what had just been said.

Andy spent most of his day down in the morgue, delivering new information, or tips to Dr. Morales and Dr. Dixon. He wasn't usually too happy to be the runner, but he was grateful today because Dr. Dixon was at the other end of his trips downstairs. It took her some time to get used to being around him again. After the incident in the Burger King parking lot, she felt guilty for putting him in that position. Once she adjusted to their new relationship, she was happy that she had a friend looking out for her. Every once in a while, Andy would walk past her when Morales wasn't looking and he'd bump shoulders with her, trying to get her to loosen up. The first few times he got a stern look, telling him that work wasn't a place to be fooling around, but after a few times his repetitive pestering arouse a giggle or two from her. Once she started feeding into it, holding back the smile that he loved bringing to her, there wouldn't be chance he'd stop. At least until one of them got caught.

They'd gotten through the day, fooling around and making each other laugh without getting caught. At least they thought they had. Dr. Dixon went off to get her things, after Andy offered to drive her home again and when he was approached by a bitter Provenza. "Flynn. I think you and I oughta have a talk."

Andy raised his eyebrows, interested in what he'd done wrong this time. They both heard Morales turning the corner, waving them off as he headed home, and they both shoved off to the corner, out of sight. Once they left the hall Provenza smacked his partner on the shoulder. Andy flinched, holding his shoulder. _"What the hell?!"_

"What do you think you're doing?"

"About to head home, I could ask you the same thing." he said, glancing down at his injured arm.

"I watched you and Dr. hot legs make googly eyes at each other all afternoon."

Andy opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, rethinking Provenza's new pet name for Dr. Dixon. _Hot legs?_ He'd never imagined hearing those two words leave his co-worker's mouth. He gave him a confused look instead. "Oh, don't play dumb with me. You need to make up your damn mind."

"What do you mean? We're just friends." Andy defended himself, continuing to rub his shoulder.

"Well then you need to tell her that. Don't play games with her. She's a nice woman Flynn, too good for you and if you're gonna screw around, go do it with someone else."

Andy was surprised at the way Provenza had sounded so defensive of her. Like he was watching out for her. "It just so happens she bakes really good cookies." He added.

"Look, I don't know why you're telling me all this, but I'm not going to hurt her. I don't know what exactly we are, but whatever it is or _will_ be is gonna go slow. I'm not rushing into anything."

Andy relaxed his arms against his chest. He wasn't liking the way this conversation had gone. He found himself saying things that he hadn't really thought over himself. He was fairly certain he meant his words, but as he said them over in his head, he realized it did kinda sound messed up. "I'm not one to go meddling in relationships, especially yours, but Dr. Dixon is also a part of this team for now, and we can't afford to lose her at this point. So whatever is going on in that weird head of yours, figure it out before you really mess up."

He walked off, dismissing the conversation and leaving Flynn to his own thoughts.

Was he really leading her on. He thought he had made it obvious that they were just friends the night before in the car. He thought thats what she wanted. Was it? Truthfully, he did wish that they could be more than what they were, but in reality he saw her just as a friend, and didn't she feel the same way? If she did have feelings for him too, she had a damn good way of hiding them. She seemed like a naturally kind person, and he hadn't thought of her actions as a different demeanour other than friendliness. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, taking him away from his thoughts. "Are you all ready?" Came her warm voice.

She grew concerned from the blank expression on his face. "Are you alright?"

He rubbed his hands together, nervously. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just… yeah."

She gave him a small smile. They both made their way to the elevator. Andy reached out and pressed the button. "Are you hungry, do you wanna grab a bite?"

She thought about it for a moment, really wanting to spend more time with him again, like the other night. "Ummm… I would like that, but I have a leftover casserole in the refrigerator at home."

She bit her lip, feeling bad for turning him down. Another day and the casserole would go bad. She thought about inviting him over, but quickly pushed that thought aside. Would that be too weird? Inviting him into her house? They hadn't been to each others houses, and as clean as hers was, she was still afraid that he'd think she was trying to ask him for something more than just dinner. Andy wouldn't think like that, would he? He must know her well enough at this point to understand she was only trying to be nice. "If you want, you can join me…"

"No no, its okay." He held his hands up, politely declining.

Lord knows he wanted to say yes, but he didn't want to be a burden. Plus, it was getting late and he didn't want to make her feel like she had to put up with him until he left.

He saw the dazed looked he'd put on her face and soon after was afraid he'd said it too quickly. "I don't want to be of an inconvenience to you."

She searched his face for any sign whether he was politely letting her down, or was just being a nice guy about the situation. "It wouldn't be a problem. Actually, the company would be nice."

She looked over her shoulder, admiring the frames on the walls. "I don't get many visitors." She admitted, maybe revealing a bit too much to her new friend.

It's not that she was antisocial, she just didn't invite many people over. She liked to keep to herself after work. The hospital was always so loud, and busy and once she got home she liked to be alone, in a stress free environment. She had subconsciously invited Andy. She had gotten used to being around him lately, and she didn't see it as being a big deal. She was just asking him over for dinner.

"Sure, then. If its not a problem."

He gave her a dorky smile and reached for his keys in his pocket. "I'll drive?"

She linked her arm in his, hesitantly and kept it there as they walked to the elevator. She wasn't sure if that was appropriate or not, but he didn't say anything, indicating he didn't mind it.

She fumbled with the keys in her hand, before finding the right one and unlocking the front door. The pair of them stepped in, being greeting by the warm smell of vanilla. Or maybe it was vanilla. Andy couldn't quite place it, but no matter, it smelled like her.

He followed after her, removing his shoes and slowly trailed behind her into the kitchen and den. The two were conjoined into a small cozy looking room. The walls were a light brown, matching the chocolate coloured sofa. There was a small tv set in the corner of the room, but the three tall book shelves were what caught his attention. He didn't think he'd read that many books in his entire life!

"I don't drink very often, but I have wine."

He politely declined her offer. "That alright, I don't drink either."

"Oh." She responded, removing the glass dish from the refrigerator.

She was afraid to ask why, not wanting to step out of line. She had unwrapped the casserole and was retrieving the plates when she gestured for him to have a seat at the bar on the opposite side of the sink. "It's okay…" He recognized the look of curiosity on her as he pulled out a chair. "I've been sober for about twenty years now."

"Congratulations Lieutenant." She spoke in a tone indicating she was proud, while also trying to concentrate on serving their food.

"You know, you can call me Andy if you like."

"You mean _Andrea_?" She smiled as she pulled out two forks and knives.

He let out a dry laugh. "You're funny."

She laid down two place mats, one in front of Andy and one beside him. "But really.. At least outside of work."

She made her way around the counter, balancing their plates in her hands as she thought about it. "Um, okay.. _Andy_."

He held back a grin, hearing her say his name for the first time. "I hope you don't mind. I put celery, onions, and carrots."

"Not a fan of onions…"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know…" She went to reach for his plate but he stopped her hand. "That's okay.. I can make my way around them."

She pulled her hand back at the touch of their skin and moved it to her neck, nervously. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Take a seat." He said, picking up his fork and digging in.

She'd already gone out of her way to invite him over for dinner, he could do his best to avoid a few pieces of onion.

He finished first, setting down his fork and reaching for the napkins she'd laid out. "So.. I was hoping to go see the new Bond movie this weekend? Do you like the movies?"

 _What a fool_ , he'd though after the words had fumbled from his mouth. "I like the movies, but I've only with my brother."

"Well…" His hands played with the serviette in his hand, working up the courage to ask her to go with him.

"If you aren't busy… We could go…?"

His shoulder shrugged as he waited for her response. His hands scanned her face, looking for positive signs. "You mean, together?" She asked, trying to catch on.

"Well yeah, I mean… If you want to."

She found herself aimlessly playing with the fork in her hand. She set it down and saw his hopeful expression. "Fine." She spoke hesitantly, a small smile playing across her lips.

"I'd like that." She added.

His face brightened, glad to hear her approval. They both stood and cleared their plates and he hung around bit longer, cleaning the dishes for her while she disappeared down the hall and returned with her hair in a braid. He hadn't seen her with her hair anything but down before. He thought she looked beautiful as always, but didn't dare allow that to be more than within his thoughts.

He wiped his hands on the butterfly apron she'd given him, and hung it back up where she'd gotten it from. "Thank you for doing my dishes. You really didn't have to."

She stood leaning against the doorframe leading to the front door.

He didn't want to admit it, but the only reason he'd offered was so he could stay a bit longer. He realized once he saw her with her hair up, that she was already getting ready to turn in and he should probably let her be.

"It's not problem. It was nice of you to invite me over. The casserole was delicious, if I haven't told you already."

She wrapped herself tighter in her cardigan. "Thank you." She grinned, awkwardly.

"Next time, no onions." She added.

 _Next time?_ He wondered what she had meant. Did she slip up, or was she hoping that they could have dinner together again? He shook it off, deciding not to make too much of it. "Well, I should head home now, but it was nice talking with you."

She stepped out of his way, letting him pass her to the door. "Goodnight Andy."

He turned back to see a smile on her lips and shut the door behind himself.

 **I've sort of stepped away from the crime fraction of the story, so the next few updates will be focusing on Andy and Dr. Dixon. However, do not fear, the plot shall continue.**


	6. Chapter 6

_ chapter 6 _

All day she was bothered by the one thought she hadn't been able to shake off since the night prior, Andy Flynn.

The team hadn't needed much of her help that day, so she'd left earlier than usual for the hospital. This was the first time she'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts at work. Even the other doctors were concerned, asking her if she was alright.

Just the thought of Lieutenant Flynn asking her out on a date was enough to send her straight over the edge. That's certainly what it sounded like. He had meant it as a date, right? She wasn't sure, but she had a good feeling thats what it was.

He had told her earlier when she was at the station that he would pick her up after work at 7:00.

"Dr. Dixon?"

She hadn't heard one of the interns calling her name, she was so lost in her thoughts. _"Dr. Dixon?"_

She looked up and saw the young woman's face. "You can go home now."

"Oh. Thank you Megan."

She punched out, and removed her coat before leaving for home.

She was just putting on her shoes, when she heard him knock. "Coming!" She yelled, through the house.

She looked in the mirror once more, checking her hair. She wore a powder blue blouse with jeans and flats. She only hoped that she wasn't dressed too casual.

She reached for her bag and shut off the lights on her way out. She opened the door, revealing Andy standing with his keys in his hand, wearing jeans a t-shirt. She wasn't used to seeing him out of uniform. It was refreshing. "All set?" He asked.

She nodded her head, stepping out, closing the door behind her. She was happy to see he'd waited for her while she locked the door. She tucked her arm in his as they walked down the driveway to his car, as she'd done once before. The gesture brought a smile to his face; he loved it when she did that. They walked down the side of his car, and he held the door for her, before walking around the back, getting in the drivers seat.

He started to think of ways to create conversation, trying to avoid the topic of work. He liked leaving his work behind once he got home, it was his way of allowing himself to calm down and give his mind a break. He had promised himself before he left the house that he wouldn't bring work into this. He wanted it to be just the two of them, together. Not as Dr. Dixon or Lieutenant Flynn, just as _friends._

He allowed the comfortable silence to remain between the two of them, when the thought came to him that maybe silence wasn't always so bad. Both of their jobs were extremely social, and maybe she'd appreciate it if he allowed them a moment of silence.

He let his eyes leave the road for a moment to look over at her in the passenger seat. She sat up perfectly straight, with her eyes glaring out the window. The woman had perfect posture; he couldn't understand how for the life of him.

The sun was setting through her window, illuminating her softened features. He hadn't taken the time to notice how beautiful she looked, her hair in a natural curl just below her shoulders and hardly a trace of any make-up to his knowledge. He changed his mind, maybe a light shade of pink on her lips.

He allowed his eyes to linger a bit longer than safe and swerved back to the centre of his lane, jolting her awake from her thoughts. His right hand flew in front of her in the passenger seat as she gripped the bar on the door. "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

She brushed back the strands of hair in her face, smiling uneasily at him. "Yeah."

He brought his hand back to the wheel after holding it out longer than necessary.

Had he just put his arm out to protect her? She wasn't sure if it was an instinctive thing. He did have children and an ex-wife, maybe he was just used to being protective like that. "Andy you shouldn't do that. It's a bad habit. If something were to happen, your whole midsection was exposed."

He glanced over at her, still a little shaken up. "I know, but at least I have a wheel and an airbag. You would have seriously hurt yourself."

She sighed reluctantly, surrendering his argument. "So you don't drive?" He asked her.

"I do. But ever since my last accident I've decided to avoid it when I can."

"Accident? What happened?"

"Last year I was driving to my mother's house for the weekend, and I got a call from my brother telling me she'd passed away. I had a panic attack in the middle of the road and almost got hit by a transport truck to the right of me. I got lucky, but it really scared me. My brother doesn't like it when I drive, because of my condition."

He saw a sadness shadow over her, like he'd seen once before. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't see how her mental state would interfere with her driving. "Can I ask you something?"

She left her thoughts and looked over at him. "I'm not a doctor, but if your anxiety is that bad, can't you take medication?"

"All my doctors and family have told me to, but I don't like it. I tried Xanax once, and it scared me. It was like I was a zombie. Not only did it take away my ability to be afraid, but it took away my ability to feel any extreme emotion. It felt like I was half alive. I didn't like it at all, so I haven't taken it again. I'd rather deal with it, than not be myself."

What she said made sense to him. He was used to seeing his mother on medication before she passed away to schizophrenia disease. It was like she became a different woman once they'dput her on the pills to take the voices away.

"That's something a lot of people don't understand about me. I've been living this way all my life, and it bothers me when people try to show pity, or treat me like a child. Asperger Syndrome has made my life difficult ever since I was a child, but its part of who I am." She explained.

"They don't understand." She repeated.

He noticed her voice soften and reached across the seat for her hand. Surprisingly, she didn't pull back or jump at his touch. Instead, he saw her relax, her eyes conveying her gratitude.

Andy seemed like he understood, or at least like he was trying. She wasn't used to being with someone who wanted to get to know her. Most people avoided talking about her emotional situation, including her brother. Most felt weird talking about it or were afraid to offend her, but Andy was genuinely curious and spoke about it carefully. She didn't mind talking about it with Andy. She didn't feel under any pressure when she was around him. It was refreshing.

Andy kept his hold on her hand the rest of the way to the movie theatre, until he found a good parking spot near the door. She drew her hand back, and reached for the door before he had time to come around. She knew he would hold it for her again, and appreciated it when he'd done it at her house, but she didn't like bothering him with such things, since they were friends.

Once they bought their tickets they found a pair of seats in the crowded theatre. Andy could tell that she hadn't taken a liking to having to scoot in front of people to get in and out of the rows. They sat shoulder to shoulder waiting for the movie to start when Andy realized they'd forgotten to buy popcorn. He thought about it for a moment before he leaned and over and spoke in her ear so she could hear over the loud chattering. "Do you want to stay here while I go get us some popcorn?"

It took her a moment to adjust to his closeness before answering, nodding her head. He stood form his seat, turning before leaving. "Text me if you need anything, I'll try to be quick."

She waited anxiously for him to come back, looking around her at all the men that had paid to see the movie. Truthfully, she hadn't been completely honest with Andy when he asked her if she _'d_ watched James Bond movies before, but she wasn't going to complain about it, at least she was there with him.

He returned some time later, with a bag of popcorn and two soft drinks. He sat down next to her, setting the cups down in the holders beside them. "I bought us drinks too after I saw how much butter they put in them. Do you want the diet coke or sprite? That's all they had."

She smiled and pointed to the Sprite. They stuck their straws in their drinks, and sipped on them while the opening credits rolled, until the movie began.

She sat next to him soundless for the most part of the movie, only jumping occasionally when bombs went off. She clung to his arm, for a few minutes before she regained her composure.

Once it was over, Andy stood up, helping her up from the tight spaced seats. They decided to wait until everyone else left the aisle, before following after them, avoiding having to step around everyones knees again.

They walked back out to Andy's car arm in arm. "So what'd you think of the movie?"

They stepped off the sidewalk and into the parking lot. She spoke with the first thing that came to mind. "It was loud."

He forced back a laugh and smiled in return. "Yeah, but the bombs and gun fights are the best part." He spoke, like a true man.

"It was good." She smiled. "I had a good time."

They approached Andy's car and he pressed the button on his keys, unlocking their doors as they got in.

As they started towards her house, the movie remained in her mind. She knew it was fictional but it was so different than the world she lived in. She loved her job as a surgeon, but she wouldn't exactly consider it an _exciting_ job like Andy's. "It's hard to believe you work in environments like that everyday." She spoke freely, not realizing how silly she must have sounded.

"Well, not exactly _every day._ "

He let her continue, focusing on the road in front of them. "Yeah, but your job is so high risk. Being a doctor, theres no risk. It's all formulated. You follow strict procedures and everything should go smoothly. That's how science works. But working with criminals everyday, theres so much more improvising, and risk taking."

He liked hearing her get all worked up over his job. Of course he was proud of his work, but he was too humble to let her keep showering his profession with compliments. "Well, its not all about catching the bad guys. Seventy-five percent of the time we're in the office with paperwork. Doctors like you save peoples lives everyday, we only do on the odd occasion."

She still thought that his job was more honourable, but she didn't say anything else. She want to make it seem like she was looking for compliments. She knew that her job was a difficult and honourable job too, but it was really the only thing she found she was good at. Her mind wandered to when she was a child. "When I was a little girl, my mother told me she wanted me to finish high school. That's it. She would tell me, 'Virginia, I want you to find a good man to support you, raise well behaved kids and put me in a good old age home.' My mother loved me, but she never told me to strive for the best. It was always about me working around my medical situation. My brother was always the smart one. He was good at math, science, sports… and I was always good at one thing."

She looked over at Andy int he driver's seat who appeared to still be listening. "My brother believed in me, I think… My mom was sick when I got my master's degree and my brother was the only one who came. For the first time in my life I felt appreciated, like someone was proud of me. I still think he was a bit surprised to see I'd actually done it."

He sat quietly, listening to what she was saying. He'd never thought that after all this woman had accomplished, she still didn't feel like anyone was proud of her. "Those with Aspergers are prone to have above average intelligence."

She looked down at her fingers, playing with the hem of her sleeve. "I'm not dumb." She added.

"No. You're not." Andy said, looking over at her.

She grew a bit embarrassed, fiddling with the sleeves of her sweater. It was another one of those times she felt she'd shared too much with him. He wasn't offended by it, but it bothered him that she still thought he'd judge her. "You know, you don't have to worry about talking to me… about anything."

He lowered his head, trying to catch her eyes as he carefully proceeded down the road. After the past two weeks, the pair of them only growing closer, she still doubted him. It was growing frustrating for him. He respected her wishes to take things slow, and he was willing to give her all the time she needed to make it work, but he wished there were an easier way to gain her trust in him.

"It feels like I'm always trying to prove myself to you. You've been so good to me, I feel like you don't _really_ understand me yet. You act like you aren't even aware I have Aspergers, like it doesn't bother you."

"Because it _doesn't_ bother me."

He adjusted his tone, not wanting her to think he had grown agitated by the topic. He knew that even though he'd said it one too many times, she still needed to hear it until she believed him. "I'm aware that there is something different about you, but everyone has something that separates them from everyone else."

He slowed at a red light, taking the opportunity to focus entirely on her. "It's all abouthow you look at the situation, and I don't see it as a bad thing, I see it as a different kind of beautiful. It's just one part of you, that I don't pay anymore attention to than the rest."Hearing him say the word beautiful again, put butterflies in her stomach. This had been the second time he'd used it. She wasn't sure how, but he had the affect of being able to change her mood in a heart beat. His words made her feel better.

Hecontinued through the green light, nearing her house quicker than she'd noticed. He left her to her own thoughts, taking the time to think on the topic himself a bit longer. He could understand why she was so skeptical of him, based on what she'd told him about her experiences with others, but he just wishedthere was an easier and quicker way for her to trust him.

He pulled into her parking lot, removed his keys and walked with her to the door, not wanting to leave her with the last thing they'd said. They stood by the door, both unsure of what to say. He was considering the word, 'goodnight' when he heard her soft voice speak in nearly a whisper. "Andy?"

"Yeah?"

His eyes met hers. She thought of the words to say as quickly as possible, before they all came tumbling out. "I'm not used to being around people for this long. I don't want you to get angry or take offence it, I'm just not used to people lasting very long."

In a way he was relieved to hear her say the words that made him feel like she wasn't distancing herself from him because of something he'd done or said, but he still felt responsible for her hesitance.

"I guess I'm just afraid to get too close just so you can leave me like everyone else does."

Her words struck right to his heart. He never heard her speak with that level of vulnerability. He ached to take her in his arms again and promise that he wouldn't leave her, and that he wasn't like the rest of the people that did. He couldn't do that.

He hadn't realized she'd begun trembling. He couldn't stand there watching her suffer. "Hey…"

She recognized the tone of his voice and remembered the last time he'd used it. She felt tears brimming her eyes, and instinctively moved in to him, covering her face in his chest. It was just too much. She couldn't handle the way she was feeling and what he was saying. She didn't know what to say to him. How could she expect him to stay in her life when she couldn't even offer him her trust.

His arms came around her. All she wanted was to be held.

"I'm not going to leave you. Unless you want me to."

His voice was calm, which was exactly what she needed to hear. He held her for a few minutes longer, feeling her breathing steady against his chest until he heard her speak in nearly a whisper. "Thank you, Andy."

She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head, bringing back the butterflies in her stomach. Her nerves returned. She wasn't afraid, or worried, but anxious. She didn't know how to react to this.

He leaned back, one arm staying on her waist, the other now cupping her cheek. Their eyes fixed on each other, he allowed himself to admire her without distraction. He watched her eyes bore into his, unable to read what she was thinking. The tears had stopped slipping, and there was a new look in her eyes. The same his revealed.

His hand was warm on her cheek, sending goosebumps across her skin. She should say or do something, but she couldn't. Her feet were fixed to her front step as she watched him move in. He swallowed hard. "Would it be alright if I kissed you?"

His eyes remained fixated on her as she responded with low hum indicating she wasn't capable of words at the moment either.

He brushed his thumb softly across her cheek, drawing her in as their lips met.

The warmth of his mouth on hers shot sparks to her core electrifying like a hundred volts. It lasted seconds but felt like forever to her. For the first time that she could remember her mind was blank.

She felt his lips leave hers and fluttered her eyes open, returning her gaze to him.

He was a touch grateful that he'd been the one to pull back. He hadn't startled her, or invaded her space like he was ever so careful not to. He couldn't think of the words to say. He was having a hard time just getting his thoughts together. His fingers left her cheek as he smiled at her once more. "Goodnight…"

"Virginia." She cut in.

"Call me Virginia."

A small grin crept across her face.

"Goodnight Virginia."

She struggled to compose a response. "Goodnight Andy."


	7. Chapter 7

_ Chapter 7 _

The case hadn't gone very far following the night Andy had left Dr. Dixon at her doorstep speechless. The team came in the morning after, like zombies. It was without a doubt that the guy they were looking for was a psychopathic genius.

They'd worked all morning until early in the afternoon, when they had come across new evidence. Andy was pleased that they'd be calling in Dr. Dixon to help them out with the medical jargon.

Chief Johnson stepped in, handing off tasks to all the detectives present in the murder room. "Andy, why don't you give Dr. Dixon a ring and fill her in when she gets here."

He took the Chief's instructions and picked up his phone to dial her cell. The past few days had been slow, and in between the few times they needed her with the case, she continued working her shifts at the hospital. He wasn't seeing her as much as he had the week before, and his job was beginning to seem boring to him without her present. Especially with no lead on the case.

She came in promptly, as she always did when they needed her and made her way to Andy's desk. She'd brought them coffee, as usual, which they all loved her for doing. She was surprised to find Andy's chair empty. She raised an eyebrow, glancing around the murder room and landing on Provenza at his desk. "Have you seen Lieutenant Flynn?"

"He's in the little lieutenant's room right now."

Without having to say a word, she knew the question that would follow. "I brought a batch of cookies. They're in the break room," and with that, the Lieutenant took off down the hall, a childish grin spread across his face like it was Christmas.

Andy left the washroom and a foolish grin across his face when he saw Dr. Dixon waiting for him at his desk. "Hey," He approached her, reaching for the tray of coffees she had in her and, taking them for her.

He took his out, the one marked decaf. "Thank you."

Her reaction to him wasn't what he expected after the night they'd shared. He changed the topic quickly. "Where'd the old man go?"

"I brought in cookies. I think they'll be gone by the end of the day at this rate."

Andy chuckled, knowing in truth, that was entirely possible.

He filled her in on what she's missed, and asked if she felt comfortable working with Dr. Morales in the morgue.

She really didn't feel like working one on one with anyone, she wanted to be with Andy, but she nodded her head expressing her cooperation.

Dr. Dixon was just about finished with Morales when he went upstairs to go find the Chief.

Dr. Dixon remained in the morgue, poking around at the cold heart laid on the table, hoping to find something peculiar. She heard the door open and was almost impressed by how quickly his trip upstairs had took.

Instead, she found Andy standing in the doorway, juggling her coffee and his in his hands. "Lieutenant, we're not supposed to have food or drinks down here."

She gestured with a gloved hand to the sign on her door.

He set his down on a clear table, and poked a straw in the top of hers. "That's why I brought you a straw."

He smiled proudly, holding it out for her to drink from. She gave him a questionable look. "I could get in trouble."

"You won't get in trouble." Andy argued, before she gave in and took the straw between her lips.

"I take full responsibility for coming down here to keep you hydrated."

She shot him a flirty look of discipline before turning back to the vital organ between them.

He noticed this weird reaction he'd been getting from her all day. Just when he thought he'd cracked her, she grew cold again. Was this her way of giving him the cold shoulder? He couldn't help but begin to worry something was wrong.

He walked around to her side of the table and bumped shoulders with her gently. "Is everything alright? You've been awfully quiet today."

She shrugged. "I'm fine."

She kept her eyes off him, indicating that something was in fact going on with her. "Virginia-"

She cut him off, with a look of annoyance. "Doctor. I am doctor to you right now, Lieutenant." She frowned at him, looking away. "You can't flirt with me when I have a heart in my hand. It's inappropriate."

The way she snapped at him, caught him off guard. He didn't know where she was coming from. "Okay, we can talk about it later… _doctor."_

He thought he'd leave her be, not sure how to react to her sudden anger. He reached for his coffee cup and was about to leave when she stopped him. "Wait!"

He turned back around, glad that she didn't let him leave. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude."

Her face had softened, the heart now on the table as she peeled off her gloves. "It's nothing that you did. I just thought it'd be best if we keep it professional at work. I don't want my emotions to get involved with my work."

She kept an eye on the door, in case Dr. Morales were to return with Andy down there. "I'm not mad or upset, I'm just trying to stay professional."

She touched a slender hand against his arm, assuring him there wasn't anything wrong.

She's always struggled with trying to show her emotions, and even more so when trying to hide them. Andy was more than a co-worker to her now, and she didn't want to let that disrupt anything at work. "Are you mad?"

Her green orbs stared up at him, as she hoped that she hadn't made him upset.

"Of course not, I'm just making sure you're alright with this."

He didn't need to elaborate for her to understand he was talking about their new relationship. Neither one knew where it was exactly they were standing, but it was more than a friendship now and certain things had changed.

She gave him a small smile, sliding her hand down his jacket as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll let you get back to work now, doctor."

He took a few steps back, giving them space for when Dr. Morales entered moments later. "Thank you doctor, I'll check in later." He spoke, giving her a wink on the way out, taking her drink with him. He'd never hear the end of it, if he got her busted for breaking the rules.

He should have known better that he hadn't heard the last of it from Provenza. Just when he had escaped to the elevator, he thought that he was home free.

The older Lieutenant had taken every opportunity possible that day to give Flynn a dirty look, so he knew when the older Lieutenant suddenly entered from around the corner, that once the elevator door closed, he was going to be getting an earful. He didn't bother asking this time.

"You know I talked to Dr. Dixon the other day."

He appeared oddly calm… in the moment. "Oh yeah…?"

It was then he realized there may be a chance he'd be getting off the elevator without a headache. "She really cares about you, you idiot. I can't see why, but she does."

Andy remained silent, curious as to what she'd said to make him think that. "I don't know whats going on here, but it looks like it's getting serious and you need to decide what the hell you're doing before you break that poor woman's heart."

"Louie…"

His face grew angry, signalling his patience had been shortened.

"I appreciate the concern you have of Dr. Dixon but the relationship we share outside of work is none of your business. And even if it was, you'd have nothing to worry about. I can assure you."

He frowned, having a hard time believing that anything Flynn did was safe to surpass as an arising issue. "Is that your way of telling me to butt out?" Provenza snarled.

"Yes, thank you."

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to the parking garage.

The alarm clock rung through her ears, startling her to consciousness. Mornings lately hadn't been so hard on her since she had a reason to be excited to go to work.

She hadn't been called to go into the station that day, but Andy had promised to take her out to breakfast before work.

She rolled over and sat up while folding back the covers, hitting the dismiss button.

She slid into her slippers and walked into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and carefully undoing the braid in her hair she'd slept with. Her hair hung loosely in pristine waves from how she'd worn it over night. She stared into the mirror, scanning her face while turning her cheeks, to either side examining her slightly aging skin. She never carried herself in a way of overconfidence, but was pleased with her skin, showing hardly any wrinkles.

She washed her face and applied faint eyeliner and concealer before returning to the bedroom to change into the clothes she had laid out the night before. She wasn't sure how late she'd be staying at the hospital that night, so she had decided to stick with a dark pair of slacks with a pale blue blouse. She made her bed neatly, using hospital corners as her mother had taught her when she was younger and left the room, to wait for Andy in the kitchen.

She was expecting him to show up five minutes early, like he usually did. She never liked when people were late and appreciated his early arrival.

He knocked on her door, five minutes early, as she'd predicted and she slipped into her Sketchers before they made their way out to the car.

He'd taken her out for breakfast a few times before. It took Andy a few cups of coffee in the morning before he was ready to take on the day, and she appreciated the company. They rode in silence, him always being unrecognizably quiet before digesting his daily dose of caffeine. He focused on the oncoming road, fully emerged in a daydream, still half asleep.

His cellphone sounded as they turned the corner and he went to reach for it, before her hand stopped his. "No. You focus on the road."

The last thing she wanted was to be the body on the side of the road being investigated. "It's Lieutenant Provenza."

She picked it up, without thinking of how she'd answer. "Hello?" She said, thoughtlessly.

"We've got another body near Echo Park… _Dr. Dixon?"_

"Lieutenant Flynn is driving. We're about 15 minutes away. Can you send the address?"

Andy let his head fall back against the seat, as he pulled up to the light. He wasn't in the mood for early morning investigation.

He watched her hang up the phone and waited for directions. "Echo Park," she directed. "Turn back around."

He groaned, as he took off down the road, looking for a driveway to pull in to. "I was looking forward to that omelette." He whined.

They arrived at the crime scene a few minutes later than planned. He took out the keys, and fished around in his pocket for his badge. He met her on the other side of the car and got an uneasy feeling of her being there. He didn't want her being exposed to the dead body that they knew very little of the time. Especially when he couldn't guarantee the killer wasn't still in the area.

"No no. You stay near the car."

She wasn't giving up that easily. "I'm a doctor. I can help!"

"Virginia, I'm not risking you getting hurt. Please just stay here until I come to get you."

She knew that he was only looking out for her, but she wished she didn't have to sit in the car while the others had all the fun."

"Okay." She simply replied.

He went to kiss her, swerving to her cheek last minute, remembering where they were.

She watched him walk up to the yellow tape and shrugged back against the car. She took her phone out to keep busy, every so often looking up to check if they were finished.

Some time later she looked up from the sound of two officers leaving to their car. She sulked, wondering if Andy were ever going to come back.

Her eyes got caught on a reflection in the grass _;_ a silver object, about the size of a pen. Her eyes scanned the inside of the park, checking for any officers. She knew it wouldn't be a good idea to step that far into the grass, but her curiosity was winning over.

She crept across the lawn, approaching the object. She knelt down to get a better look, and her breath caught in her throat when she realized what she'd come across. She reached down, picking up the newly found scalpel that was laying in the grass.

Drops of blood trickled down her hand, catching her breath. She realized then, what she had in her hands; a potential murder weapon and a piece of evidence at the least.

She took off into the park, with urgency in her footsteps. She looked around nervously at all the officers, unsure of where to go. She felt a hand on her shoulder and nearly jumped.

"Dr. Dixon? What are you doing in here… I told you to stay by-"

She turned around to face Andy who had managed to sneak up on her. Once he saw what was in her hands he immediately began to panic. He heard the others approaching from behind them, probably wondering why she had shown up and he wasn't sure of what to do. "Virginia…"

Her name left his lips in a sigh. He couldn't imagine what the team would think when they saw their best piece of evidence yet, in her hands. "Andy, whats Dr. Dixon doing here?" Chief Johnson asked, looking between the two.

She gasped, looking at the scalpel in Dr. Dixon hands. "Doctor, where did you get that from?"

"It was over on the other side of the fence." She spoke hesitantly, gesturing behind her.

The other Lieutenant's circled around, knowing better than to say anything. "Doctor, are you telling me that you found a bloody scalpel on the edge of our crime scene and didn't think to get an officer."

Virginia's mind raced as she swallowed hard. She hadn't thought of what she'd done until that moment. She'd contaminated the DNA of a potential murder weapon. Her hands began to tremble as she looked to Brenda and then the others around her. They were all piling around her, making her feel smaller and smaller by the second. She had a hard time focusing on what the Chief was saying. "Doctor, you have just ruined our chances of using that as a piece of evidence…"

Andy listened to his Chief continue to hound at Dr. Dixon, not liking it at all. His blood started to boil and he lost what little restraint he had on his impulsive actions. "Hey, take it easy on her! She's a doctor, not a cop and you can't expect her to know exactly what to do."

Brenda's eyebrows raised, and he immediately regretted the level of aggression he'd used while speaking to his boss. "Why Dr. Dixon is even here, _Lieutenant Flynn_ is beyond me."

"She was with me when I got the call. I understand you're upset that she failed to handle it properly, but she's still the doctor that has been helping us with this case, who deserves some respect."

He was letting his anger get out of hand. He looked to his right, expecting to find Virginia telling him to calm down before his blood pressure got out of hand, but saw she was gone. He left the others behind, taking off down the path after her.

He found her with her back to him, leaning against a tree, a bit off the path.

"Hey… are you alright?"

His voice was soft, trying to be as calm as possible. He knew she hated moments like those, and thats why he'd stepped in. He couldn't stand and watch his boss take a layer off her like that. He'd said something for her.

He noticed the way her shoulders were rising and falling that she was shaking pretty badly. He immediately grew concerned. _"Virginia…"_

Her name fell from his mouth. It was Andy, she could trust him.

She turned away from the tree, facing him but keeping her head down. "No. I j-just, c-couldn't be there a-anymore." She choked through tears.

"What can I do?" He reacted, concerned but determined to help.

She looked at him with big eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Pressure," she choked. "I need you to hold me."

Without a word, his arms came around her, holding her tightly to him. He'd never been around someone having a panic attack, but he knew her and knew what she needed. She didn't want to talk about it, or hear him talk about it.

She wanted him. She just wanted to clear her mind in his arms and get away from that situation. She couldn't take the disappointment she'd caused, or the yelling.

Her tears fell from her cheeks onto his shirt. His hand found its way to her neck as his lips gently touched her head. "It's alright. Everything will be okay." He finally spoke.

His words were calming. The very sound of his voice had an affect on her. She heaved in a deep breath, tightening her hold on his middle. It was working.

He listened to her sobbing slowly stop, and her breathing steady.

From the top of the pathway Provenza looked around to where the other Lieutenant had gone. He figured it'd be wherever Dr. Dixon was. As his aging eyes scanned the park, he thought his eyes had deceived him when he saw two figures in each others arms on the side of the path.

He squinted his eyes before reaching the conclusion that it was definitely the two he was looking for.

He let out a sigh. As annoying as Flynn was to him, and how aggravating his slowly developing relationship with Dr. Dixon was, he found them somewhat adorable together. He took a moment to admire the two sharing an intimate moment, before returning to the squad and pointing off sown towardsthe path to where the pair remained standing.

Their gazes turned to where Provenza had pointed out and several _awes_ were said. Even Brenda who had just had a go at the doctor turned soft at the sight.

Provenza left them a bit longer before calling them, letting know they were wrapping up now.

Maybe Flynn wasn't such a cold hearted jackass after all. Provenza rarely went back on his word, but maybe he'd been wrong. Andy certainly seemed to care about her more than he thought.

 **A big thanks goes out to those who are still reading and everyone who's tagged alone! This chapter was a little different from the others, but the next few updates will be more focused on the actual case than the past few have. (There will still be feels, do not fear)**

 **Thanks again for reading! xo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Slowly but surely reaching resolution for the murder case, sorry for those who are growing as annoyed with it as i am. (and i literally write the damn thing)**

 **Anyway, heres a little more fluff to hold you over for the next update *lips are sealed***

 **Just for clarification, the beginning of this chapter does begin with** **a fast forward into the story. Hope that isn't too confusing...**

 **Special thanks for my lovely beta Cass, because honestly this story would be a wreck without her. Thanks for reading guys, you're all awesome! xo**

_ chapter 8 _

 _"_ _I'm staying until she wakes up."_

 _Andy's words were firm as he stood on the other side of the glass, speaking to her doctor. That was the night she'd been admitted to the hospital, laying in bed asleep, bruised and injured from the course of the day._

 _He knew she was alright, and that she was going to get better, but he didn't want her to be alone and surrounded by strangers as soon as she opened her eyes. He knew her better than that. He knew that she'd want him there, and she'd need his support, and an explanation of what had happened after the accident._

 _He was seated next to her bed in the hospital chair, with her hand clasped in his. His thumbs brushed over the back of her hand, tracing circles as he watched her sleep soundly. He'd been relieved to hear that she hadn't been hurt too badly. Once she got out of surgery, the anesthesia kept her asleep for quite some time after. Andy hadn't been able to talk to her since they were in the ambulance._

 _As the hours went by, Andy grew tired and eventually drifted off, his head resting against the side of her pillow. When he woke the next morning, his back was aching and he couldn't feel his legs for a good five minutes. He felt her hand brush through his hair and sat up slowly, wincing from the pain shooting down his spin. He leaned in, maintaining their closeness. "Andy…"_

 _Her voice was so fragile. He gave her a tired smile, as her hand continued to play with his dark silver locks. "How are you feeling?" He asked her, not wanting to bombard her with any questions at the start._

 _"_ _Sore."_

 _He lifted their hands which had remained laced together through the night and brought the back of her hand to his lips._

 _It took her a moment to really process what had happened before a million thoughts and questions filled her mind. "Andy, you didn't stay here all night did you? You should be at work, trying to put that man in jail."_

 _He saw her panic and ran his free hand against her hairline, brushing the hair back off her forehead. "Everything is going to be fine. I did stay here all night, but the others are dealing with the asshole who did this, and he will be punished accordingly. Don't worry."_

 _This was all her fault. If she would have done the right thing, no one would have gotten hurt. They may have even found the guy earlier if she hadn't picked up the scalpel without thinking. "I'm s-so sorry… I d-didn't mean t-to…"_

 _He could see her struggle to speak and cut her off before she could say anything further. "Sweetheart, this isn't your fault. You need to relax. The doctor says you're going to be fine but you should know that doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet."_

 _She struggled swallowing, blinking down hard. He tore at his insides seeing her like this. He couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened. It was his job to take care of her, as he'd promised. He swore he wouldn't let any harm come to her and he'd failed._

 _"_ _Virginia… I'm-"_

 _She held up her hand, with her eyes shut not wanting him to continue. "Stop."_

 _She knew he was going to apologize like he always did, even though it wasn't his fault. It rarely was, and he was constantly beating himself for things that he wasn't responsible for. "Don't apologize."_

 _"_ _This isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm the foolish cop that goes around getting himself hurt over stupid things, and you should be the doctor that works here. If I had played my cards right, you wouldn't be in this bed right now."_

 _"_ _No."_

 _He could see the pain she was fighting as her eyes squeeze tight, but he let her continue, knowing that she felt she needed to continue. "I'm in this bed because of me. Not you."_

 _He didn't know what to say. He knew that she was too stubborn to change her mind. He wasn't going to sit there and argue with the woman he loved who had just left surgery after recovering from a stab wound. He'd already got her worked up enough._

 _"_ _When do you have to go back?"_

 _Her voice was soft again, as her eyes met his, filled with a weakness he hadn't seen before. He'd always known her to be he strongest woman he'd ever met. Even with the anxiety she was constantly struggling with, she always fought to be strong and independent, and to see her so fragile like this broke his heart. He didn't want to think of having to leave her right then._

 _"_ _Soon."_

 _He didn't want to specify, knowing that she would consider it it written in stone. He kept open the idea of returning to work, to see how she did while she was awake. He still wasn't sure if he was comfortable leaving her alone yet._

 _She lifted her other hand and set it on top of theirs. "Please don't go yet."_

 _He could see she was in pain, and that was just what she allowed him to see. She wasn't one to complain and so who knew what she wasn't telling him._

 _"_ _Of course." He smiled, kissing the top of her hand._

The results from the DNA test came back the following day with displeasing results. The only DNA they could trace on the scalpel had been Dr. Dixon's . As soon as Andy had heard, he did as he said he would and let Virginia know before the others, preparing her for the wrath of Chief Johnson.

Andy tried to stick around her the best he could that day, just to give her some moral support. Eventually, as presumed, Chief Johnson did request to speak with Dr. Dixon in private.

She pulled at the sleeves of her doctor's coat and met the Chief in the corner of the room. "I'm assuming Lieutenant Flynn has informed you of the results from the DNA testing."

Dr. Dixon remained silent, not wanting to upset the Chief. "I understand that it was an accident, but if something happens like that again, your medical assistance will no longer be needed."

Once Brenda had forced a smile and walked off to her office, Andy was rushing to Virginia's side. "What did she say?"

He could tell by the way she was acting that it hadn't gone as bad as he'd been afraid of. "She gave me a warning."

"Well thats good!"

Andy smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Now that the conversation was over with, he wanted to move on and put it behind both of them.

"No!" She spat, showing disapproval.

He was taken off guard by her reaction. He thought that she'd be relieved that the Chief hadn't dismissed her, or starting yelling. He was expecting far worse than a warning, but why was she mad at him? "Virginia.. I don't understand-"

 _"_ _Lieutenant Flynn…"_ She eyed him admonishingly.

"How I reacted to the situation was wrong, very wrong and very inappropriate. If it wasn't for me, you would have the DNA by now."

"You don't know that," Andy said, defending her.

He knew that working with the LAPD had been hard for her, not being used to how it worked around the station. He could tell that she was getting herself worked up again over nothing. He reached for her hand, knowing that he was crossing a line, but he did it anyway. "Look… We're going to catch this guy. One little mistake won't stop us from solving this case. It happens. We all make mistakes."

She tried processing his words to calm herself down, and somehow he made her feel a bit better. "But the only way to get that DNA again is for another person to die."

She was right. Andy wasn't sure what to say, all he knew was that they would have to move past this little bump in the road, and keep trying.

Just then Provenza walked by, carrying papers up to his shoulders, rolling his eyes at the sight of them holding hands in the middle of a murder investigation. "Would you two get a room!?"

He watched the light from the television flicker across her face as she slowly lifted popcorn to her mouth, entranced by what she was watching.

Andy had been following along to the show, but he had watched this episode twenty times before, and already knew what was going to happen. He was more interested in her, and watching her react to everything that was happening in front of them.

She caught him staring from the corner of her eyes, when she reached for another hand of popcorn. "Andy, you're missing the good part."

She sat next to him on the couch, with his arm relaxed behind her. She let her head fall to his shoulder and continued watching Mulder reach the very edge of walking away proof.

They'd been watching reruns of The X-Files all Sunday night. She'd been cuddled up in his lap for most of it, until she asked if he had popcorn.

The episode ended as expected and the screen went blank before another episode began. Virginia lifted the bowl of popcorn from Andy's legs and set it on the table, stretching before repositioning herself. She laid back down on the couch, with her legs outstretched along the cushions, her head laying on his lap.

He kissed the edge of her nose, making her smile as he began playing with the brown locks of hair, now sprawled out across him. "Andy..?"

He could see wheels spinning in her head, thinking of what she was going to say next.

He twisted her hair between his fingers. "Yes, dear."

"Do you believe in aliens?"

He held back a chuckle. _"What?"_

"Like, extraterrestrials?"

Her eyes looked up to his face, and he could see she was asking him a genuine question. "Not really," He answered truthfully.

"Why…? Do you?"

Her eyes returned to the ceiling. "I don't know. I think it would be foolish to assume there isn't life beyond Earth. Even though we may possibly never know."

Somehow, what she said made sense to him. "I guess you're right."

She closed her eyes, finishing her thought and just relaxed, feeling his hand combing through her hair. "Are you tired? I can go." He offered, secretly hoping she wouldn't want him to go just yet.

"No," came her answer, less than a second later. "I'm just thinking."

His fingers gently traced her hairline, as he admired her. "About what?"

"The case." She answered.

He wasn't exactly expecting her answer, but he figured it wasn't out of her nature to be worrying about work once she got home.

"I know what you're going to say."

Her eyes remained shut, giving him the signal she wasn't bothered to the point of discomfort. "I know I should leave my work at work, like you always do but it's not as easy for me. I'm a doctor. I go in, I perform surgeries and I come home. I don't feel responsible once I get home, because I know my patients are safe, but this new idea of not knowing whats going to happen next… I don't like it."

Her eyes fluttered open and met his. "Another murder is going to need to happen in order for you to get more evidence."

She knew better than to say it wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair, and of all jobs, theirs were the least. She had failed at performing surgeries before, and she had experienced feeling responsible for death, but her situation was different. When she failed at performing surgeries, she knew that her and the other doctors were doing everything they could to be successful, but working with Andy and the police had just made her feel helpless in preventing another murder.

"I know that its hard to leave it at the station, but you have to adjust eventually or you go insane."

There were a few moments of silence, while they both let their thoughts linger to the case. Andy was the first to snap out of it, not allowing himself to be bothered by it outside of work. His eyes returned to her, her head still laid on him, her eyes shut again. "Are you sure you aren't tired?"

"Nope. Let's watch another one."

He was hesitant to believe her, but went with it, grabbing the remote control and rewinding the DVD to the beginning of the episode. She twisted on the couch so she was laying on her side now, her head still on Andy.

He started getting suspicious around the time the theme song played, thinking he saw her eyes fluttering open after a few seconds of closing. Halfway through the show there were gunshots, and he knew from her still reaction that she was asleep **.** He waited through the rest of the show to see if she'd wake up, but once the credits rolled he came to the conclusion she was passed out.

He reached for the TV remote, careful not to wake her and clicked it off. The room went dark and all he could hear was the hushed breathing from the woman in his lap. Acting on impulse, he reached for the blanket draped over the arm of the couch and managed to unfold it with one hand. He brought it around the front of the couch and spread it across her legs, reaching for a pillow afterward. He kissed her forehead, fostering a small hum from her, before tucking the pillow under his head, getting as comfortable as he could with as minimal moving as possible. Not the ideal sleeping position, but tolerable if it meant waking up to the woman resting on him the morning after.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here it finally is! I'm sorry its taken so long, but we're nearing the end and as I've said, things heat up this chapter.**

 **Just putting it out there, that there may be some mild violent triggers. Nothing incredible dramatic, but I thought i'd just let it be known.**

 **Thank you so much for reading 3**

_ chapter 9 _

Another Monday morning had rolled by, and Virginia woke up dreading having to go back to her shifts at the hospital. She already missed Andy. They went to dinner on Friday night, but he'd been busy all weekend with the case. Apparently something had come up, but it wasn't anything she could be of any help with

She'd spoken with her superior at the hospital today, and he said she'd be in the operating room all morning with an important surgery. Of course all procedures were crucial, but this surgery hadn't been performed as frequently as others. As usual she wasn't nervous or fearful of how it would go. She trusted her training and herself enough to know better.

She arrived early, as she always did and went to check the board to see who she'd be working with instead _Dr. Bergson._

The name didn't ring a bell which automatically made her a bit nervous about working with him. Dr. Dixon found she worked best around people she knew well, and didn't have to go through the introduction process. Not to mention, she hated working with people who didn't know what they were doing. She silently hoped that Dr. Bergson wouldn't be another young doctor who was still wet behind the ears.

The Major Crimes department had been buzzing all morning, and practically all weekend as well. There was no sleeping going on when there was a psycho on the loose, and they were getting so close to catching him.

Andy had been running the halls all morning between the Chiefs office, and Lieutenant Tao's desk. They'd come extremely close to going after three doctors already this morning, before each one had been discovered innocent.

Lieutenant Tao's eyes flew across the screen, shock crossing his face. "Uh, you guys may wanna come take a look at this."

Flynn and Provenza were the first to get there, bending over trying to read the screen.

While the older Lieutenants squinted, trying to read what was displayed on Tao's computer, he had managed to reach a conclusion. "Our killer's name is David Reid, also known as David Bergson. He's been working at Cedars for the past three years, pretending to be a surgeon there. Looks like he went through medical school, but quit halfway through."

Andy's mind began racing from the newly found information.

Provenza spoke first. "Someone call the Chief in, we need the whole team going there as soon as possible. We're gonna need lights and sirens."

Tao looked further back into the suspects past, as Provenza began to run his mouth. "So you're telling me, this psycho has somehow managed to pretend being a surgeon for the past three years?!"

"Heart surgeon."Tao corrected.

"Wait, you said he works at _Cedars_?" Andy interrupted.

The panic on Andy's face was a clear indication to the others that he was worrying about Dr. Dixon. Provenza was the first to try to be rational with Andy. "Now, Flynn.. You need to stay calm. The guy may not even be working today."

"No, Dr. Dixon was telling me that there was this big surgery today and it was really important. Don't you think thats the sort of thing a heart surgeon may need to be around for."

Andy took a step back, running his hand through his hair out of habit. "We need to get over there now, before we lose someone else because of this asshole."

Provenza gave Tao the eye, both of them knowing things had just grown personal.

The surgery had been performed successfully and all the doctors began filing out of the room.

It had been pushed forward to the afternoon, so they'd gotten out later than expected. The 5 hour procedure had brought them to around dinner, and everyone left making plans, leaving Virginia on her own to clean up.

Dr. Dixon stepped back taking off her gloves and tossing them on the way to the door, when she noticed the mysterious Dr. Bergson hadn't left yet either. The man had done extremely well in the OR, but hadn't been very social. Dr. Dixon was grateful for not having to have another awkward conversation with a new doctor, but found it odd that he hadn't spoken a word to her.

She watched him from the corner of her eye, as he slid a scalpel off the tray and into his pocket. She spun around quickly. "Doctor, all utensils must remain in the operating room."

She fumbled with her words, uncomfortable with having to reprimand a doctor nearly within her rank. He should have known better. "Oh no thats fine, I was just…"

She wasn't going to accept any of the excuses he tried making. "I'm sorry doctor, but all equipment needs to remain in the operating room to be sterilized. It is a health violation."

Her words were firm, but he still wasn't obeying her. She wasn't going to let him leave, after breaking procedure and disobeying his superior. She hated raising her voice, doing so very little and only when she was shaken up and lost control. She hoped that she'd get through to him soon before she would reach that point.

He took a step toward the door, raising her anxiety. "Dr. Bergson, please set down the scalpel."

Andy had promised Provenza that he wouldn't do anything ridiculous once they reached the hospital, but he was having a hard time thinking respectful thoughts on the ride there.

With the sirens sounding, it wasn't helping his state of mind. He knew that he was overreacting. There was no way of knowing if Bergson was anywhere near Virginia at the time, but he had a horrible feeling that something wasn't right. If something ever happened to her, he would feel responsible. He was the one who asked her to help with this investigation, and he wouldn't be there if something were to happen to her. It hurt Andy to even think of Bergson getting his filthy hands on her perfectly innocent heart, or even near her for that matter.

She was in a very awkward position, him being near the door and only having the closet behind her. Her anxiety was beginning to take over and very quickly she started contemplating all the things that could go wrong.

"Doctor…" Her voice hitches in her throat, and before she can say more the other doctor speaks up. "NO!" He yells, making Virginia shake from the volume.

Something within in her gave her the bravery to push him aside, using every ounce of both emotional and physical strength. She reached for the door handle but the door slammed shut from the weight of his hand against it. "I'm not trying to hurt anyone. I'm not a violent person."

There was panic in his voice as well, making her wonder why he was acting so weird. Why couldn't he have just put down the scalpel and left? She couldn't understand why he was being so difficult. The chief and none of the other doctors had warned her about his mental stability beforehand, but she knew at this point there was clearly something off-putting about the situation.

She turned around, facing him with her hands stretched across the door frame. "I can't let you leave this room with a surgical tool."

The expression on his face changes, starting to scare her a bit. "You will move, or I will take out your heart right here in the doorway and step over you on my way out."

His voice was aggressive, with each words piercing into her. She was doing everything she could to avoid panicking. Her mind immediately went to the crime Andy had been working on with his division, and the details of who was responsible. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she had developed a strikingly horrible feeling about the man in front of her.

She held her ground, only hoping that there wouldn't be a turn for the worse. When she said nothing, he tried the handle again, growing closer than she was comfortable with.

Her arms shot out, pushing him into a table behind him. He still had the scalpel in his and she knew he wasn't going to be happy after her outburst. She swung open the door and ran into the next room, where she knew there'd be more tools inside and hopefully a phone or something to call for help.

She never brought her cellphone into the OR, so she was on her own unless she could find something.

She heard him coming behind her and spun around with her hands up as a defence mechanism, but more out of fear from what he would do next. His fist came flying at her and she dodged, just missing him by a fraction of a second. He grabbed her shoulders and forcefully shoved her backward into the cupboards, the tray of medical equipment falling to the floor. His hand moved to her neck, holding her back while the other shook nervously with the scalpel in winced in pain from when her back had hit the counter cupboard she was being held against.

She felt behind her with her hands, hoping to find something from the tray that hadn't fallen. She felt around behind her back, quickly until she found a pen and held it firmly in her hands before bringing it in front of her and stabbing it into his abdomen. She waited for him to flinch, or bend in half from the pain. She didn't want to take any chances of not getting away alive, and kneed him again where she'd stabbed him, and ran for the door as he yelled behind her in pain.

She ran across the room, thinking she was home free, she called out as loud as she could for help, but her ankle was grabbed form behind her and she fell to the floor, inches short of the door.

She rolled onto her back, breaking his grip and tried kicking him as he stood above her, the scalpel still in his hand.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she tried to think of her next move. Her mind was racing as she tried thinking of what Andy would do.

She continued to fight, kicking and punching wildly blinking back the pain in her back. She knew for sure she was bruised, but she couldn't determine how badly.

Her adrenaline was rushing, but she eventually began slowing and he swung her legs away, climbing on top of her and holding the scalpel against her neck.

She started yelling for help again and again, but knew the chances of anyone being around were low. Her yelling turned to a whisper, tears pooling in her eyes. She looked up after hearing scuffling from the other side of the door followed by a stinging across her neck. She looked back at the scalpel raised in his hand. A whole new fear came over her. Fear for her life, as she started screaming through her tears. Her heart was pounding as she started feeling dizzy like she was going to faint. She squeezed her eyes shut and stopped screaming. She knew it was only hurting her neck more, and it wouldn't stop the blood, now trailing down her neck and to the cold floor beneath her.

Her mind immediately went to Andy, and how if she died then, she'd never be able to tell him how important he was to her, and how much he meant to her. All the things he'd done for her, and how she loved him for them. She slowly felt her mind leave the room, completely unaware of what was going on around her.

It felt like she'd been lying on the floor for hours, when it was only a matter of seconds. She listened the the scuffling grow louder before she heard the door burst open, followed by a familiar voice.

She whimpered softly, looking up at the man that she was so desperate to see only seconds before. She began crying again, not out of fear but from relief. She allowed her body to relax, knowing Andy would keep her safe.

His gun was drawn and he was yelling words that she couldn't make out in her state of half consciousness.

She squirmed beneath Bergson, trying to free herself. "DON'T SHOOT OR I'LL KILL HER!"Blood was flowing freely now, covering her chest and dripping in her hair. She knew she could eventually bleed out, depending on the depth of the cut.

She looked up at the man restraining and noticed that the scalpel was still raised, but his eyes were on Andy and his gun. Her eyes scanned the floor for something within her reach that she could use to defend herself.

The tray that had been knocked to the floor was only a foot away and she knew she could reach it if she stretched. She took her chance, reaching across the floor, taking a plaster knife in her hand. She stabbed it into his stomach, using all the strength she had.

The gun went off just as Bergman fell back, just missing him by inches. She kicked him off of her and pulled herself away from the door, allowing Andy to get around her to Dr. Bergson.

She gripped the edges of the counter and tried pulling herself up to her feet, as Andy fought to restrain Bergson. Pain shot down her spine and she fell back down to the floor.

She watched helplessly as Andy wrestled with Bergson on the floor, blocking punches as they came flying.

In the blink of an eye, Andy had lost control of his gun and it went sliding across the floor, directly toward her. Without hesitation she reached for it, and held her finger over the trigger with shaking hands. She heard Andy yelling to her. _"Virginia, shoot!"_

She aimed the best she could, her finger pulling back. Another bang sounded and Bergson fell to the floor.

As soon as Andy could confirm he wasn't conscious he ran to Virginia's side. "What happened!? What did he do to you?!"

He tilted her head back, taking a look at the cut on her neck. "The scalpel…"

She was hardly able to speak, as she choked out the words. "He cut my neck."

Just then the door flew open and the rest of the team piled in. They carried Bergson out of the room, and rushed him out of the room to the emergency room.

Andy looked down to her hands which were still clenched around the gun. He wished in that moment that she would have killed the son of a bitch, but at least she was safe.

He reached around her, trying to help her up and she cried out, biting down on her lip to bear the pain. "My back…"

Virginia knew that if anything her neck would need stitches, but what she was really concerned about was all the falls and battering she'd underwent. "Andy.. I need to stop the bleeding. I need.."Before allowing her to finish, his arms moved under her legs and around her shoulders as he gently began lifting her. "Okay, lets get you to a doctor."

He carried her out of the room, her arms around his neck and head on his shoulder. Once the rush of adrenaline began to fade, the pain came almost all at once, as if she were reliving each injury. "It's going to be alright. He got what he deserved and you're going to be fine."

He spoke confidently, trying to calm her and himself. He hadn't been more proud and frightened for her as he was in that moment.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry that the this chapter has taken so long to upload. It took a while to write/edit for multiple reasons; mine being the bittersweet feeling of putting an end to this story that oddly enough managed to become a surprisingly large part of my life the past few months. I owe so much of this fic's success, and completion to all of the people who have been reading along, and the awesome feedback many people gave, that i honestly wasn't expecting.**

 **I took my time with this chapter, as I said and thought I'd add in a few tropes/ scenes that didn't get added in the process of elimination :)**

 **I really hope you like how it ends, and I can guarantee there'll be more coming as soon as possible! Thanks for following along the past couple months! I hope you're satisfied with this last update.**

 **Thanks for reading xo**

_ chapter 10 _

The past week had really taken its toll on Andy. He honestly believed it had been the worst since the time around his divorce.

Everything appeared fine on Monday. He was spending so much time with Virginia that the days of work resulting with no identity on the killer they'd been looking for, seemed easier. Sometimes they'd go to his house, but usually it'd be hers. They'd shared a few nights cuddled on her couch watching television until she fell asleep on him.

 _Andy woke with a stiff neck and sore back. He remembered how he spent the night before with Virginia and when she fell asleep on him towards the end._

 _He glanced down at the woman curled up against him, sleeping soundly._

 _It was apparent that she'd rolled over in her sleep and was now facing his stomach, the fabric of his shirt bunched in her hand, her breathing slow and steady._

 _He brushed the hair back from her forehead and contemplated letting her continue sleeping, or attempt getting up and disturbing her._

 _He saw the possibility of them sharing a conversation about him spending the night once she woke, so he chose to avoid waking her just yet._

 _He loved seeing the other side of her that shone through when it was just the two of them. The past few weeks they'd spent together had shown Andy that she wasn't always impacted as harshly with her syndrome in every situation as to when she was in his company. He began to love spending time with her, as she'd grown more comfortable being around him. They'd built a trust that Andy highly respected; he understood that there weren't many people in her life who were lucky enough to know her like he did, who she trusted enough to allow them this close to her._

 _She stirred in her sleep, nuzzling her nose into his middle. He found it adorable the way she acted around him sometimes, when she wasn't playing the strict and rule abiding surgeon. When they'd first met, he never imagined that he'd end up discovering so much more about her than what she showed at work._

 _At the hospital she was emotionless. She had to be in order to function and get her job done. Andy understood that, but when it was just the two of them, grabbing dinner, watching a movie or just talking, he felt like he was with the real Virginia. She would laugh and poke fun at him, maybe even crack a joke once in a while, and thats the Virginia he'd grown to love._

 _He smoothed her hair back again, pressing a kiss to her temple. Her head stirred in his lap, as she scrunched her nose and mumbled under her breath as she woke. "Andy…"_

 _"_ _Hey," he said through a small smile, admiring her as her eyes slowly fluttered open and found his._

 _"_ _Why are you doing here?" She asked, groggily._

 _He hadn't woken up with her before and hearing her morning voice was quite possibly the most mesmerizing thing he'd ever heard._

 _"_ _We were watching TV and you fell asleep, remember?"_

 _His voice was soft as he spoke, trying to keep her at peace as she slowly became more aware. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light and remembered inviting him over the night before, and the two of them sharing a bowl of popcorn before she drifted off._

 _A soft hum left her lips, as she released his shirt from her hand and rolled onto her back which was stiff like his. She couldn't see him sleeping that sitting up all night could be comfortable for him. "You don't look very comfortable."_

 _"_ _It's fine," he lied._

 _He wasn't in so much pain that he couldn't tolerate it for the time being. He liked having her this close to him. He'd half expected her to wake up in a panic, asking him why he'd decided to stay or if he would leave, but she gave him no signs of discomfort._

 _"_ _Did you sleep good?" He asked._

 _"_ _I slept well, yes thank you."_

 _She knew how he always hated it when she corrected him, but he let it slide this one time just because he wasn't up for an argument so early in the day._

 _He narrowed his eyes instead and gave her a look of disapproval. She suppressed a laugh, stealing a kiss from him before sitting up and beginning to prep for the day._

It had been an emotional rollercoaster ever since then. He could remember coming into work, just like it were another regular day, feeling like they would never find the killer. He thought about Virginia most of the time he was seated at his desk. Provenza would walk by ever so often and badger him to stop daydreaming, but he hated paperwork and everyone knew it.

He'd fallen so in love that she was all he could think about. All his daydreams were of her, and when he could see her next. He just wanted the case to be over so he could be with her, making her smile or laugh at one of his stupid jokes. He couldn't remember ever having feelings like that for someone, that were so strong they invaded your mind all the time and wouldn't leave you alone long enough to function like a normal person. Virginia had become his life in those past weeks, which had made it that much more difficult for him to get the news that Bergson was so close to her and she was helpless not knowing so.

It had shaken him to the core thinking that she could be in possible danger at that very second. The case became even more important to solve once that became apparent.

He was grateful that he'd gotten there just in time, but not soon enough. If she just would have agreed to come to the station with him that day, it wouldn't have happened. Maybe if they'd went out for lunch or if he visited her, he would have been there sooner and could have stopped anything from happening. All these thoughts ran through his head, as he continued to worry about the accident even after it was over. She was safe now. He could relax, but it only seemed that way. But things hadn't gone his way, and she had gotten hurt, fending for her life with only her medical knowledge and a blue pen.

He was waiting for her to wake-up from the anesthesia, not leaving her bed even after she'd slept through to the early hours of the morning the following day. The doctor had told him before she'd gone in for surgery that it hadn't been too serious, and she needed something done to her lower back. He didn't speak medical jargon, but he understood that she would be perfectly fine when she woke up, just sore.

Andy knew that once she woke up, she'd be in a panic and worrying about how the surgery had went, and where he was. He thought it would be best if he sat with her for when she would wake up, just for some moral support.

He sat with her bruised and frail hand folded in his, waiting for her to wake up as the hours rolled by. He was barely awake when he felt her hand twitch in his and she bolted up, screaming and shouting for help. A few doctors came running in, but it was Andy who calmed her down, telling her that she was okay and it was over. The doctors made sure she was alright, before they left the room, leaving the couple alone. He held her hand until the re-appearing pain subsided in her back, from her sudden moving.

Hours prior, a doctor had been nice enough to ask if Andy wanted a cot to be wheeled in for the night, since he wasn't planning on leaving. He may have let them believe that him and Virginia were married, but he knew that once the fatigue did take over him, he'd want to sleep and he certainly wasn't leaving her alone.

He was finally able to let go of the small fear he had that she wouldn't wake up. He smoothed back the hair from her face and tried getting her to look at him, holding her face in his hands.

He had recognized the fear in her eyes from when he walked into the OR and saw she was fighting for her life against Bergson, and there he was again being the one to calm her after and give her the reassurance things would be okay. She'd been through so much the past six hours, Andy himself had a hard time believing she was so strong to be holding on like she was. All the physically pain she was feeling and emotional damage she'd gained couldn't be easy to deal with. He was glad she wasn't alone in this.

He watched the tears roll down her cheeks, as her sad green eyes bore into his.

She couldn't imagine a worse situation than the one she'd just survived the day before, and yet here she was having to relive it again. She didn't know what she would have done if Andy wasn't there when she woke up.

She had awakened right before Andy came into the room with his gun drawn, before Bergson had been killed. It was a horrible thing that she had to go through again, just as terrifying as the first.

The first thing she wanted once she realized it was only a dream- and it was normal for someone in her situation to be experiencing nightmares, was Andy. She wanted him to hold her like he always did when she was scared. She cried his name repeatedly, trying to calm herself down, hearing him tell her again and again that it wasn't real and they were safe.

She managed to get her shaking under control. She wasn't crying anymore because she was afraid of something happening, she was crying because she felt like she needed to. It was okay for her to cry around Andy. He would understand. _"C-can y-ou hold m-me?"_

She didn't need to finishing choking out the words for him to stand from the chair. He carefully helped her up into a half seated position and joined her on the bed, wrapping her in his arms, cradling her head to his chest.

He understood that after all she'd been through, she just needed someone to cry on. His fingers traced circles on her back as she let out all the emotions she'd been feeling after reflecting on the accident.

_ 1 week later _

She was packing up the things that Andy had brought in for her during her stay in the hospital, when he tapped on her door before entering. She didn't know why hefelt the need to knock, but ignored it and continued to fold her shirts. "Virginia, you shouldn't be doing this on your own. You know better, the doctor told you to take it easy on your back."

She rolled her eyes at him over-dramatically, before zipping up her overnight bag. "Andy, I'm fine."

She turned around to face him. "You know that I'm fine. You've been here almost all week."

Her hands found their way around his middle and his around her waist. He gave her one of his famous defeated smiles and kissed her forehead. "You're all set now?"

She nodded her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking around the room to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

Andy pushed her out to the car in the wheelchair as she held her overnight bag to her chest. It was a weird sensation being the one being pushed instead of the one pushing.

Andy helped her into the car after she reminded him yet again that she was okay on her own. "I can't help it, y'know. I just wanna make sure you're okay? Thats all."

He buckled his seatbelt and turned on the engine. She fiddled with her hands in her lap, feeling guilty for getting angry with him helping. "I know. I'm sorry."

As much as Andy wanted to talk to her, and ask her how she was doing or how her last day had been as a patient, he felt exhausted and just wanted to go home and throw himself into bed and stay there for the next few days.

His eyes were focusing on the road when he heard Virginia clear her throat. "Andy…"

He waited quietly for her to continue, hoping she wasn't going to go back on the topic they'd shared plenty of times before when she was in the hospital about him feeling guilty for the accident. It wasn't that he changed his mind, but that he didn't want to argue with her when he was tired and would most likely end up saying something dumb.

"Did you mean it?"

He came to a red light seconds later and looked over to her in the passenger seat. She looked as if she'd been deep in thought before bringing it up and he grew concerned by her question and its meaning. "Did I mean what?"

She immediately regretted bringing it up. Maybe it wasn't the right time. He was clearly exhausted and there was still the small possibility she'd heard wrong or had misunderstood somehow.

He could tell by the look on her face that she was afraid to speak up, that something was holding her back. His hand rested on her leg as a gesture of comfort. "Hey… You can tell me."

He was growing more worried by the second. She'd grown so much more comfortable with opening up around him and trusting him the past week alone, it was odd she couldn't in that moment. He feared that something was wrong. Was it her back? Was she not telling him something? "Virginia, what is it honey?"

"You…" her voice trailed off, and for a brief moment she wasn't sure if she should finish the sentence.

"You said that you loved me."

Andy's heart stopped for a short second. _She had heard that?_

Her eyes scanned over to him, lights flickering across his face as he drove down the road. "When I was asleep the first night at the hospital. You said it before I woke up. You were holding my hand, and I heard you say you loved me and you hated seeing me get hurt."

He remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Everything she had said was true, and of course he'd meant it. He couldn't tell a this point what she thought of his words. Was she angry, or did she feel the same way? Andy had been trying so hard to keep their relationship from going too fast and becoming too much for either of them. He valued it too much for things to get ahead of them and down spiral. He didn't mind taking it slow, but now that she knew how he really felt, that would throw everything off.

"I uh.." He cleared his voice, before finishing his thought.

"I didn't know that you heard."

She wasn't quite sure how to take his response. Why did he not want her to hear him?

She started worrying that maybe she'd gotten herself all worked up over three words that he didn't mean. Three words that maybe just came to him in the spur of the moment that he didn't even mean. It certain seemed to her that he cared a lot about her. When she needed someone to lean on, or talk to after a long day, he was always the one there for her. He was always smiling at her, and calling her _honey_ or _sweetheart_. Those weren't names that good friends called each other.

"It's alright, you don't have to say anything. I don't want you to feel pressured, it wasn't my intention when I said it."

It sounded like he meant it. He wasn't taking it back. She let him talk, not wanting to say something out of line. "I thought you were asleep, and if its best for you to forget about it, thats okay."

 _Why would she want to forget!?_ It had been the highlight of her week up to that point, and why would _he_ want her to forget it if he meant what he said? She repeated her initial question. "Did you mean it?"

The car was quiet for a moment, the traffic around them being the only noise. "Yeah."

The rest of the ride was quiet, both of them wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Andy walked her to the door like he always did and kissed her goodnight. He wanted so badly to be invited in, just to talk to her a bit more about what had come up on the drive to her place. He understood that too much may have been said and he didn't want to push her away before he could even let her in. His hands lingered on her waistline a bit longer than usual.

His lips hovered above her shoulder. "Call me if you need anything."

She shivered from his breath against her cheek and nodded her head as she bit her lip.

She didn't want to let him leave, but needed to sort out her thoughts.

Andy walked back to his car, hands in his pockets and waiting for her to get inside before heading home.

He left her mind in a mess as she padded down the hallway to her bedroom, still thinking about what he'd said.

She woke to the sounds of her own screams for the second time that week. Once she caught her breath she looked over to her alarm clock that read 2:00 a.m. She had only been sleeping for a few hours and she was already having a nightmare. She knew that it was because of Andy's absence. Her schedule at the hospital had consisted of waking up to Andy snoring in the chair next to her, eating the dreadful breakfast they provided, saying goodbye to Andy, having lunch, sleeping until dinner, stare at the walls until Andy came back, and then eventually fall asleep with Andy there.

This time, the dream seemed even more real, but it ended differently. Virginia wasn't the one who reached for Andy's gun this time and she watched Bergson shoot at Andy before she could do anything. She watched him fall to the floor, watching the life fade from his eyes.

She told herself over and over that it was only a dream and Andy was fine. She knew it was true, but something still wasn't right. She needed Andy. It was so much better hearing him tell her that. She found that his voice itself soothed her.

She thought about it for a moment, before reaching to her nightstand and grabbing her cellphone. She dialled Andy's number and hoped he would pick up. He seemed really tired in the car, and even though she felt guilty for calling so late, she hoped that he hadn't put his phone on silent. After a few rings she heard his groggy voice, officiating that she had woken him up. "Andy… I'm so sorry I woke you up."

"No… It's fine. Are you okay?"

Her hands trembled as they held the phone to her cheek. "Yes. Well no… I had another nightmare, and I was kind of hoping…"

Before she could finish he cut her off. "I'll be over in 20."

She couldn't help but smile, already feeling a bit better talking to him and knowing that he would be there soon.

He hung up shortly after, and threw on the first t-shirt he could find on the floor, and grabbed his keys off the dresser.

She was sitting in bed with her knees to her chest, still shaken up from her last episode when she heard the doorbell and practically flew out of bed and down the hall.

She opened the door and pulled him inside, wrapping her arms around him before he had time to even say a word.

He couldn't help but grin from her desperate need to touch him. He shut the door behind him, and held her close until she trembling had gone away. "Hey.. Why don't you go to sleep now. You're probably tired too."

She was tired, but she couldn't stand the thought of him leaving just yet. He'd only been there for a few minutes and she selfishly needed to be with him in the moment.

They got under the covers and she laid her head against his chest, as he held her while she fell asleep. He figured that she must be hurting pretty bad if she hadn't even bothered him about taking off his shoes.

After some time, he assumed she was asleep, and tried to quietly sit up without waking her.

Her hand grabbed his wrist, just as he was about to take a step. _"Stay…"_

Her voice was sleepy, but she hadn't fallen asleep yet. He wasn't sure he could stay any longer without falling asleep. He wasn't sure if she would be okay with him staying the night yet. There was that one time she fell asleep during The X-Files, but that was accidental.

As if she had read his mind, she spoke again. "It's okay, you can stay. I want you to stay."

She let go of him after a few moments of silence, confirming he wasn't going to protest.

He slipped off his shoes before crawling back in and pulling her into his arms, with her back against his chest. He hadn't been this close before and was a bit worried she may be uncomfortable with it. He dismissed the thought when he heard a small hum escape from within her and the feel of her hands on his arms surrounding.

It was moments like that, he wanted to badly to repeat those 3 words.

The morning met her peacefully, the arms around her and steady breathing against her neck, spreading a smile across her lips. Her mind went to the night before with Andy in the car, then at her doorstep and finally him coming to her rescue at something past two in the morning. It got her thinking that maybe she'd been missing something all along. Why was it so hard for her to consider the possibility that Andy may really want to be with her?

He'd said that he loved her, and she believed he'd meant it, but she never considered her own feelings that far along in their relationship. Every time she saw Andy she got this feeling in the pit of her stomach, and it wasn't the same as the thought of public speaking or a change of plans. It was a happy feeling; she was happy to be around him. Andy made her feel like she didn't have to try and she could be herself around him. He made her feel like she could wear plaid sweaters around him, and talk about embarrassing childhood stories because she knew he wouldn't judge her.

A tear slipped down her cheek and landed on his resting arm beneath her. She had never noticed exactly _how_ happy Andy made her. She never got emotional like this, she almost felt embarrassed by it.

"Hey… are you okay?"

She'd never met someone so endearing as Andy. How is it that he could be constantly concerned about her? "Yeah," She said with a small smile.

She twisted in his arms so their faces were inches apart, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. She knew by the look of surprise on his face that he wasn't expecting it.

Her hand covered his, draped across her middle as her eyes found his. "I love you too, Andy."

 _ **_END_**_

 ** __TBC... __**

 ** _Thanks to Cass for being the best beta ever._**

 ** _Thanks to Sarina for the constant support._**

 ** _Thanks to our idiot Duff for creating these people to wreck our lives._**

 ** _And thanks to all of you wonderful people for reading!_**


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